Light a cigarette, attract a bus

Most folks have heard of the old "Murphy's Law": that which could go wrong, will. I counter that with the Paulie Axiom: the moment at which you give up on something happening is the exact moment when it takes place. I've seen this play out often enough that it is more than coincidence. There's something in the ethos that triggers when you give up, or mourn the loss.

Early Morning U-Turn
Years ago, when I first moved to the Portland area, I got a 3rd floor walkup on NorthWest 22nd near the Good Samaritan Hospital. Neat old building. I got my first Portland job parking cars between SW Oak and Stark on 2nd. In the morning, I would walk the block or so to 21st and pick up the #17 bus downtown. On mornings when the bus was late, I would invariably give up on it and start walking. I wouldn't get more than a block down 21st before the headlights of the old #17 rounded the corner from further uptown and I'd turn around and quick-foot back to the stop. This happened frequently, but it took a few years of reflection to really note the pattern. On the days the bus didn't arrive, I just walked the 30 blocks to work.

Lost, Found by the Disinterested
Years earlier, when I still lived in upstate New York, I had spent the day in the park with my friends, playing footbag and listening to music on a boom-box. It was getting late, and the afternoon was turning to evening, so we started to get ready to leave. It was then that one of my friends discovered that he had lost his keys. We had been all over the park, so the probability of finding them, especially in the increasing dark, was very low. I said as much and (bad friend) didn't invest in the search. While the others crawled around on the ground, I just kinda wandered around, waiting for them to give up so we could go home. That was when I found his keys. By accepting that they would not be found, they presented themselves to me. The one who lost the keys was split between anger that I didn't actually look and relief that they'd been found. He resolved to relief, but I don't think he ever forgave me for not "really helping".

Light a Cigarette, Attract a Bus
Years after living in NW Portland, I was again dependent on Tri-Met. I was living on SE 22nd, working graveyard shifts in a produce warehouse while going to Portland State full time during the day. Crazy. I got a full sleep every other day, and took a 2 hour nap the other day. Anyway, unlike when I lived in NW Portland, I couldn't just walk to school. Since the buses running down the Mt. Tabor incline to the bridges over the Willamette run so often, any waiting is caused purely from them being full to capacity by the time they get below 26th. I found, though, that when you just gave up on a bus stopping anytime soon, and lit a smoke, a bus would appear. Too often, this happened just after lighting, so you had a spoiled cig without any of the satisfaction of having laid a drag onto it.

Over the years, this axiom has presented again and again. When I describe this phenomenon to folks, I am usually greeted with a story that demonstrates it. From giving up on finding a purse along an abandoned highway only to spot it in your headlights moments later to finally getting hold of someone on the phone to let you into a locked building just as someone else brushes past you to unlock the door, there is a strange phenomenon happening. It's the Paulie Axiom - the moment at which you give up on something happening is the exact moment when it takes place.
As I complete this atypical posting, my good friend Justin is celebrating his successful completion of his degree program. It took me 10 years from high school to university graduation, and Justin followed a more greatly challenged path. I'm sorry I can't be there in person to toast you, Justin. It may just be a piece of paper to some, but yours is a true measure of determination and courage. Sincerely, congratulations.

Thanks for following along. I'll return to my more typical rankings next time...