Mysterious Ways

Something very odd happened to me. Something very strange. Something very coincidental. Too coincidental, even - borderline absurd and unbelievable. I get goosebumps just thinking about it and reliving the moment, as I attempt to capture it in writing. I feel almost as touched as I did when this - that I am about to tell you about - occurred.

Let me begin this story with a bit of background info. I have been a longtime U2 fan - not the kind of fan that owns every record and knows all the lyrics; but rather, the kind that has always respected U2's work and fell in love with a select number of songs. Songs such as "New Years Day", "With or Without You", "Where The Streets Have No Name", "Staring At The Sun" truly move me and quiet "do it for me."

I have never seen U2 live. I've dreamed about seeing their concert for a couple of decades now. Tickets for their two concerts in San Diego went on sale a couple of months ago and sold out the 14,000-people capacity Sports Arena in something like 8 minutes. Ridiculous. I was desperately trying to get tickets then, with a constantly rediling phone on each ear and 5 refreshing browsers open on my computer. No luck. I kept trying - nothing. I was getting so discouraged and began to enter random requests for random numbers of tickets - 3, 1, 6. Suddenly I got lucky with a request for one ticket and in the heat of the moment purchased it. Of course, right after that, I realized I had done something silly. I mean, I certainly wanted to see U2's concert with Marie and not by myself.

OK, so two days before the 3/28 show I was sitting in front of the computer working and surfing the web. Nothing planned and certainly not much thinking about the U2 concerts - but all of a sudden for some reason, and I really don't know why and what prompted this, but a voice in my head told me to go to Ticketmaster and see if there are tickets available for the second show on the 30th.

My dear reader, you are probably growing impatient by now and curious to hear about the odd, strange, coincidental moment that I introduced in the beginning of this story. I won't let you down and will make your time worth reading. Bear with me. Ready for it? Drum roll...I searched for 2 tickets and hit the "Look For Tickets" button. The browser window reloaded and came back with the following Word Verification:

I nearly fell off my seat. I got goosebumps all over and screamed out "What????" I think I scared Marie for a second, who was sitting on the couch watching some movie.

What's the big deal about the word to be verified, you ask? Well, first of all, these "words" are either randomly selected, if they are real words such as "youth" or "place" for example, or, they are randomly generated. The word in question is of the latter case. Chara is not a real word in the English language, but this word is very real in my mind and means a whole world to me. Chara was the name of my childhood dog that I left behind in my native country some 15 years ago when I came to America for a 2-month stay, only to return and visit my motherland some 14 years later instead. There's more. Chara was born on the same date that I left Bulgaria. More? Today Chara is probably no longer alive as she must be 119 dog-years old. More? Sure, read on.

After staring at the monitor in disbelief for a few minutes, I finally typed in the word to be verified, and clicked "Continue". The browser window reloaded yet another time, and I was presented with the opportunity to purchase a pair of tickets for pretty much the best seats in the house - Lower Level 24 - at the middle of the arena, a hundred yards from the stage, right above the floor. I was pretty much shaking, the hairs on my neck standing on end. What is this? A coincidence? If so - one hell of a coincidence.

I often think, and sometimes speak of "The Spirit", referring to my belief in a higher power based on events in my life and in the lives of others that I observe to be a little more than coincidental. I almost cried - my eyes were glazed with heavy teardrops that never made their way out and over my cheeks. My throat was choking with this moment that I couldn't swallow.

I purchased the tickets. Happier than happy. I wanted to see if this was really that coincidental and if maybe there are more tickets available. Started over from the search page and queried for a pair of tickets, or for a single one, or for 4, or for 6, and kept getting "no tickets available".

Wow!

Chara - she moves in mysterious ways, and today she brings me closer to God. And U2 are part of it all. In their song, "Mysterious Ways", somewhat "coincidentally" they sing words that have perfect meaning to me and speak beyond language right now:

"...One day you will look...back
And you'll see...where
You were held...how
By this love...while
You could stand...there
You could move on this moment
Follow this feeling

It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright
She moves in mysterious ways
It's alright, it's alright, it's alright

We move through miracle days
Spirit moves in mysterious ways
She moves with it
She moves with it
Lift my days, light up my nights..."


Believe. I almost have no choice now, but to.

Krassy Can Listen To It: "Mysterious Ways" by U2