A HAPPENING

GEORGES CHANOT, MAKER

a PARIS, 1856

Before the Civil War. 

Before Lincoln was President. 

Before steveroni was born! 

So you KNOW it is not a 

SEARS "Weekend Special"...

In September twenty years ago, I had been to Cincinnati visiting with my mother and  loads of relatives. Return-to-Naples Flight was uneventful. My violin which I bought in 1951 for $850 was valued in 1990 upward of $35,000, and it lay comfortably under my seat on the plane.

An attractive woman sat next to me on the 2-hour flight.  We did not speak--can you believe that?--grin! For hidden reasons, the captain announced we would be circling Fort Myers for about 20 minutes. The light-skinned, dark-haired Peep next me began the conversation:

Lady:  "Well, I guess we'll arrive late at the gate?"

ME:    "Yep!

"What is in that case on the floor?"

"A violin."

Do you play it?

"Yes, I do."

"My Great Grandfather made violins."

"Oh? What is his name?", I asked.

The next moment in the 20-minute lifespan totality of our "relationship" my heart jumped around, I felt feint, my knees became week.

I asked again, "WHAT did you say?"

"Georges Chanot."

"MY VIOLIN IS A CHANOT!"

She, the non-believer: "You are not being truthful!"

So I bent down and gently pulled out my violin case, opened it, displayed her Great Grandfather's signature inside the violin with the date. She was dumbfounded! AND, so was I!

And, yes, I did take the violin out, and played a little for her and the passengers, just as we were being told by the pilot, "We are going in!"

Something spiritual--we had not a clue--had happened. Possibly it was a moment we each needed to know God a bit better, and that He IS everywhere. Maybe it was our angels simply having a bit of fun! 

I have no idea of the odds of that brief meeting and connecting, but it had to be in the "millions-to-one" area. Oddly I did not get her name, nor she mine, and so our paths have not, and never will cross...on the other hand, who knows?  REALLY! Remember my slogan (also the name of my other blog) "YA NEVER KNOW".....

The story you have just read is true. No names were used so that none must be changed!  Sober that day--OH! Holy Crap!  I almost forgot!!! Lady is one of "US"...an alcoholic in recovery in AA--from Cincinnati, Ohio. "Ya Never Know!" That day in September was a"Miracle Day" for me.

It was 1990
This is 2010
Yes, I am still sober.
Hope the Lady is also.
Love all you Peeps! ♥