The medium is the message

Sometimes I seriously wonder what the Universe is trying to communicate to me. I have had a couple of experiences recently that have made me sit up and take notice, and I'm still wrestling with the meaning behind them...

Yesterday I was out canvassing, and as I drove by a customer location I had visited previously, a health club, I noticed the owner pulling into the parking lot. I had missed him earlier in the week when I stopped by, and made a mental note that he was now at work so I could swing by after running the errand I was on my way to do.

My thoughts then took me back to the time I was a member at this particular health club, and how I had canceled my membership because there was a creepy old man who would come to hang out at the gym just to ogle the women in their leotards. It really bothered me how he would sit at the pec dec, do two or three reps, and then just stop and look around him, mentally undressing us all with his eyes. He would boldly continue to stare at you even after you noticed him doing so. It was very unnerving. One day as I passed him on the stairs on the way up to the cardio area I caught him staring me down. I stared right back at him and snapped "Can I help you???" I had told the girl at the front desk about him and lodged an official complaint, and then quit the club shortly thereafter.

I returned to the club and met with the owner, and we made plans to sit down and have a discussion about his staffing needs. After I left the gym I went back on my route, which at the time was southeast Oshawa. As I sat in traffic on King St. waiting for a light to change on the way to my next call, I glanced over at the car sitting next to me. I'll be damned if it wasn't that creepy old man from the gym!!! He was looking all neat and tidy and was undoubtedly on his way to work, and was for once not staring at me, but instead focused on the traffic in front of him.

It's not like I live in a small town where you run into everyone all the time. What could be the meaning behind this strange encounter?

Then this evening I was speaking to my father in New Jersey, who is trying to coordinate a trip for the boys and I to come and see him. He proposed some dates, and I told him I would have to check the calendar at work to see if anyone had already booked those days off, as we can't have more than one person away from the office at a time. He asked me if I would please get back to him asap, as the fares will be going up tomorrow and he'd like to book them when they're low. I told him I would be arriving very early in the office tomorrow and would call him first thing to advise, which would be around 8:00am. He told me that he is staying up very late these days writing, and requested that I not call him before 11:00am. I assured him I would not.

As I hung up the phone, I glanced at the display screen on my handset, which automatically records the time of each call in minutes and seconds. The time it recorded for this call we just had was 11 minutes and 11 seconds! This message came through loud and clear: I have to remember to delay my morning call as requested!