The Universe Works In Mysterious Ways

Recently I was taking a trip. I fancy myself the kind of person who writes while traveling. Journal the day’s adventures, ooze some Salinger-style brilliance as I guzzle piña coladas poolside. While the perfect prose don’t actually ooze out of me while on vacay, I continue to pack my laptop with the best of intentions.

I also fancy myself the kind of person who can board a plane carrying a simple sack. Just toss in an ID, cash, my phone, Kindle, iPod, and a bottle of xanax: good to go. In reality I shove those things into a purse that could fit two bowling balls and a Maine Coon cat, then toss in two dozen other things I may or may not need. Heaven forbid I am away from four shades of tan eye shadow for the full duration of a five-hour flight.

The laptop won’t fit in this simple sack, of course. So it warrants its own carry-on bag. By “bag,” I mean a near-full-sized suitcase measuring the full specs allowed by the airline. I fancy myself the kind of person who can minimalist-pack, proud to have exactly one pair of underwear for each day of travel. In reality, I count out one pair of underwear for each day, then add not less than three more. I grab a dozen tank tops for a 6-day trip. I lay out 2 bras, plus a sports bra, and stick-on bra, for a tropical trip in which I have set the goal to not wear a bra at all.

Once the goods for a 6-month stay abroad are laid out for my 6-night domestic trip, it is evident that the carry-on is necessary avec or sans laptop anyway. So much for the simple sack lifestyle.

But this trip, this trip was going to be different! I had planned to purchase a tablet with keyboard to be my prolific-traveling-self. This 10-inch, two-pound gem was to be thrown into my simple sack, thrown over my shoulder, and proudly toted through the airport without a carry-on-rolly-bag in sight.

I picked out the perfect little machine. I had the funds. I had over a week before I hopped on that plane, braless, simple sack in hand. However, the Universe had other plans. Not less than four times my attempt to purchase the tablet were foiled. These foiled attempts ranged from a capricious $70.00 increase in price to being treated like a criminal when trying to use a Visa gift card as tender. On or about the time of the fourth thwarted attempt, I accepted that the Universe simply did not want me to procure this tablet before I skipped town.

Just as well. I guzzled piña coladas and made a concerted effort to wear two tank tops each day. Each time I opened my laptop to vacay-write, which I did for the first time ever, I chalked up the sans-tablet writing up to a humorous life lessons on trusting the Universe.

Despite my foiled efforts pre-vacay, a few weeks after my return I popped over to Amazon to order the elusive tablet. The price was right. My Visa gift card had almost enough funds on it to cover the cost of the tablet and the few other random Amazon-awesomeness items in my shopping cart. I wasn’t even treated like a criminal while using the Visa gift card as payment!

Order confirmed! Finally! … but wait, the gift card did not have adequate funds to cover the entire cost of the order. There was not an option to pay for the remaining balance with another card. Oy. By the morning it was yet another thwarted attempt: your payment method has been declined.

I had come too far to give up. I called Amazon. Surely customer service could help me use two payment methods for one order. I patiently waited on hold for ten minutes. My hopes were once again dashed when I was told: “The system will not let me use two credit cards…”

Sigh. Okay Universe, I get it.

Then she went on to say: “… but I see you’ve been a loyal customer for a long time. I’m going to decrease the cost of your order so you can pay with just the gift card.”

With a $60.00 decrease in price my new tablet arrived on my doorstep 2-days later.

It would have been easy to overlook the lesson in this relatively insignificant experience. Fortunately, each thwarted effort was just so ridiculous I felt it could not be for naught.

A big lesson in trusting the Universe and Its mysterious ways encompassed in humorous experiences. A gift beyond all measure.

An opportunity to confront my over-packing habit. I hold out hope that the next time I board a plane it is with only a simple sack and a sh*it-eating grin.

“I trust the ebb and flow of the universe. I trust that lies bigger than what I can see. I trust that there is a divine order beyond my control. And I trust that no matter what happens, I will be alright.” – Oprah Winfrey