How exactly does a emotional cripple who lacks social skills and dance talent manage to create the largest dance studio in America?  I had no money, no experience, no charisma, only the most minimal talent as a dancer.  I stumbled every step of way, but in the end I succeeded against daunting odds.  Listen, I have an ego just like everyone else.  I would love to write a book where I brag endlessly about how I used my brains and dance ability to create the largest dance studio in the country.  But I know better. 

To what do I owe my success?   Even a turtle can get somewhere if you give him enough time.  Due to the fact that I believed this role is what God had chosen for me, I refused to quit.  The other reason is that mentors came along with uncommon precision to offer invaluable suggestions.  In addition, all kinds of lucky breaks allowed me to somehow keep my job in spite of my shortcomings.  A perfect example would be Lance Stevens who foolishly hired a young man who could barely dance, much less teach.  Then came Donna Gordon out of thin air to hand me Class Factory.  This became a source of students I could call my own.  Without Victoria, without Glen Hunsucker, without Joanne Wilson, without the Meyerland Club... and without Linda Shuler and TGIS... I cannot imagine how I would have created Houston's largest Country-Western program.  These various factors explain why over time I became convinced I had received Divine Help every step of the way. 

Am I the only person who has ever credited the Almighty for their success?  Of course not.  I thought about something Bing Crosby said. 

"Honestly, I think I've stretched a talent which is so thin it's almost transparent over a quite unbelievable term of years."

Kirk Douglas said something similar. 

"For me, the one thing in my life I always knew was that I wanted to be an actor.  That in itself is an asset.  I think half of success in life comes from finding out what you want to do, and then going ahead and doing it.  Of course, you need fierce determination, and you need to love your work.  But let's be honest.  You need a hell of a lot of luck.  I had that by the bushels."   

Although it was embarrassing to accept that 'Lucky Breaks' were the true explanation for my success, I found it impossible to believe in anything else.  The thing is, doors of opportunity just kept opening.  I did not even have to ask!  Every time I walked through one of those doors, my career magically skyrocketed to the next level.  The story of Linda Shuler is a perfect example.  One day a dance student casually mentioned I should check out the TGIS singles organization.  So I wandered over there and met Linda for the first time.  I made a one minute sales pitch.  After 10 seconds of deliberation, Linda handed me, a total stranger, the break of a lifetime.

10 seconds.  Think about it.  10 seconds!  Why would a responsible person give carte blanche to a stranger in 10 seconds?  At the time, TGIS had an overall membership of 1,000, 400 of whom were active.  Who authorizes a business opportunity which affects 400 people to a total stranger without question?  Wouldn't Linda at least pause long enough to ask herself how this decision might conceivably go wrong?  Linda had no idea if I could teach.  Linda had no way to know if I had integrity.  She did not know what my reputation was.  Would I take people's money and run to Vegas?  Was I a sexual predator who planned to proposition half the women in the class?  What if I touched women inappropriately?  What if I showed up drunk?  What if I used vulgar language?  What if I was hyper-critical?  Linda had no idea whom she was dealing with.  Why should she trust me?

Linda never asked a single question.  If it had been me, I would have conducted an interview of sorts.  After all, I tend to be suspicious around strangers, especially if my decision involves people whose safety depends on my discretion.  Not Linda.  If Linda had any qualms about me, I did not see it revealed in her face or demeanor.  She simply trusted me on the spot.  Sounds like a good idea.  Go for it.

My contact with Linda was limited to three brief encounters, the longest of which was two minutes in length.  We first met February 24th when she gave me permission to teach at TGIS.  We met the following week March 2nd in order for her to authorize my flyer with her initials.  We met one last time on Sunday, April 6.  This is when Linda gave me permission to teach a follow-up class in May.  After that, Linda's rotation as the TGIS leader expired.  I dealt with her successors for the next several years, thereby extending Linda's original gift many times over. 

So there you have it.  One of the great heroes of my life bestowed an incredible act of kindness, gave me a few brief minutes of her time, then promptly disappeared from my life.  Given how much she meant to me, how grateful I was, and how little I knew about her, after she vanished Linda acquired a mythic status in my mind.  Since I was intensely curious to know why Linda had been so kind to me, I often thought about her.  In talking to people who knew Linda, I learned she had been appointed to guide TGIS after serving a lengthy apprenticeship as a junior officer.  Linda was described as a dutiful, conscientious leader who had been carefully groomed for this role.  Since membership grew exponentially during her tenure, I am led to believe Linda's benevolent oversight contributed greatly to the Golden Era of TGIS.

One night I explained to a TGIS friend named Jeanne Ryan what Linda had done for me.  Jeanne was the new TGIS leader.  She knew Linda well.  After I explained our brief encounter, Jeanne agreed that Linda's nonchalance seemed uncharacteristic.  Jeanne said Linda was chosen because she had earned the trust of her peers on the TGIS board of directors.  Jeanne added that Linda worked as a high school drama teacher at a Houston high school.  A job like that can turn into a political minefield ("Why wasn't my daughter chosen for this role?").  Surely Linda's vast experience had taught her to make careful, reasoned decisions.  When Jeanne made it clear that Linda was not flippant by nature, I raised an eyebrow.  If that was the case, then why was Linda so hasty with me?

Here is what I am driving at.  I was faced with a contradiction.  On the spur of the moment, Linda Shuler spent all of 10 seconds deciding to give a total stranger the break of a lifetime.  She simply smiled and said, "Sure, sounds like fun!"  With little more than a shrug and a wave of her magic wand, Linda opened the door which would one day lead to the largest dance studio in America.  What would persuade Linda that I was someone she could trust?  You know me by now.  When someone behaves in an uncharacteristic manner, I question if Cosmic Blindness or Divine Intervention was involved.  At the time, I wondered if Linda was acting on a Divine suggestion without consciously thinking about it.  What else could explain such a frivolous and rash decision? 

If Fate exists, then there has to be a mechanism by which Fate is orchestrated.  If a mistake is called for, Cosmic Blindness.  If a lucky break is called for, then a Divine Inspiration would do the trick nicely.  This raises the possibility that we base some of our decisions on thoughts planted in our mind.  Keep in mind this is just speculation on my part, but it seems plausible. 

Whatever the explanation, Linda worked fast.  These 10 seconds became the most lucrative business deal I ever made in my life. 

Over time, I came to realize the huge impact Linda had played in my Destiny.  It seemed to me that God had moved a mountain to make me Houston's first Western teacher with the Meyerland Club opportunity, then used Linda as an agent to accelerate my progress.  The curious incident with Linda became one of the major reasons why I came to believe I owed my success to a Hidden Hand.

Lots of people get lucky breaks.  However, most lucky breaks come after due diligence.  Ask any movie star about the countless disappointments, failed auditions, and dead ends before they get their big break.  Not me.  Other than asking Linda if I could teach a class for TGIS, I never had to ask for anything.  My lucky breaks were just handed to me.  By itself, a lucky break can be dismissed as a fluke, a quirk, an accident.  However, I didn't get just one lucky break, I got a dozen of them.  Maybe more. 

Did I create these opportunities?  No.  Each one was handed to me or suggested to me on a silver platter.  The only thing I can take credit for is having the sense to take advantage whenever a door was opened for me.  With each new opportunity, my Magic Carpet Ride soared higher.  Thanks to the boost created by TGIS in 1980, my studio grew by leaps and bounds.

Four years later, the Supernatural Dry Spell kicked in.  Unbeknownst to me, there were no more lucky breaks scheduled.  Why not?  The studio was so successful my classes filled up without any special effort on my part.  No need to advertise, no need to take my students dancing after class.  The studio's reputation and word of mouth was sufficient.  Allowed to take a breather after ten years of unbelievable stress, I took the chance to look back and see how I had managed to create such a wonderful studio.  I knew the answer immediately.  I was so ridiculously fortunate, no explanation other than 'Fate' made the slightest bit of sense.  I was convinced more than ever before that I was walking a Path.  Firmly believing that lucky breaks such as Linda's curious act of kindness involved Divine Guidance, I was humbled. 

I also reminded myself I had an important responsibility to be worthy of this honor.

Given how important Linda Shuler was to me, I find it fascinating that she later returned to my life and became my friend.  In the process, Linda helped solve one of my greatest headaches.  And what would that be? 

Credibility. 

Since the vast majority of my so-called Supernatural Events took place before 1984, witnesses such as Victoria had vanished during the Supernatural Dry Spell.  With the exception of Judy Price and Maria Ballantyne, the people involved in these so-called Supernatural events were long gone.  But Judy was no longer a part of my life nor was Mrs. Ballantyne.  Since I had not shared my spiritual beliefs with anyone over the past 30 years.  That left me as the only witness. 

Who would believe me?  Since I was a relatively obscure person, who was going to believe my tales without corroboration?  As they say in every courtroom drama, I had no witnesses.  Everyone from that period of my life was long gone.  Then one day a witness did step forward.  Linda Shuler. 

As I wrote in the previous chapter, when the Internet came to prominence in the late Nineties, I hopped on board.  Best decision I ever made.  The SSQQ website became the vehicle that made my dance studio become the largest program of its kind in the country.  By sharing a treasure trove of stories from my career, I generated so much interest that attendance at the studio exploded overnight. 
 

It is important to note that there was no hint of the Supernatural in that write-up.  I scrupulously avoided adding my private views to whatever I put on the Internet.

Nine years after I published my story about Linda, a man who knew Linda stumbled across my Internet story.  His name was Steve Kole.  He liked my story, so he wrote to Linda Shuler and thoughtfully carbon-copied me in his note.
 

From: Steve Kole
Sent: Sunday, August 5, 2012
To: Linda L. Shuler
Cc: Rick Archer
Subject:  Positive Comments about Linda Shuler-TGIS Leader by Rick Archer-SSQQ Dance Studio Owner

Linda,

I am sending you a link to an article I just found on the web that has some nice things to say about a 'Linda Shuler-TGIS Leader' at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in 1980.

The 23 page article written in June 2003 by Rick Archer, founder and owner of SSQQ Dance Studio here in Houston is titled 'How SSQQ Got Its Start'.

Mr. Archer has some very nice things to say about you and how you made a very positive impact on advancing his career in 1980 as a dance instructor.  He also explains how your action led to his program later becoming a dance studio owner of SSQQ which is now the most successful dance studio in Houston and maybe the nation.

If you will, go to page 12 of 23 and look under the subtitle: 'DOOR TEN - A TOTAL STRANGER GIVES ME THE BREAK OF A LIFETIME!'  Then continue to read on that page and you will see how appreciative he was of your kindness and willingness to give him a chance to teach dance lessons to members of TGIS.

I not only was enthralled with Mr. Archer's content, but I like his style of communication.  If Mr. Archer is half as good a dance instructor as he is a writer, then he is one hell of a dance instructor.

Steve Kole

Pleased to receive Steve's email, Linda decided to contact me. 

From: Linda Shuler
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2012 11:35 AM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: TGIS and SSQQ Dance Studio Owner

Hi Rick,

What a surprise!  I vaguely remember the beginning of the TGIS dance class, as if it happened a zillion years ago -- which I guess it did!  I read and enjoyed your memoir, and am happy to learn that I helped open that door. 

And thank you for your kind words.  For the vast majority of my career, I was a theatre teacher/director at Robert E. Lee High School.  I figured that over the course of my 30-year career, I directed over 100 shows.  I'm now in San Antonio, missing my Houston days, and trying my hand at writing novels.

You have the largest social dance studio in America?  Wow!  Amazing!  Congratulations!

Best, Linda

Linda's reply was a wonderful gift.  I had just been granted my long-desired wish to tell Linda how much her Act of Kindness had meant to me.  I replied the same day.

From: Rick Archer
Date: 8/14/2012 2:20:34 PM
To: Linda Shuler
Subject: RE: TGIS and SSQQ Dance Studio Owner

What a pleasure to hear from you, Linda!

My goodness, you are a legendary figure in my life and the funny thing is you vaguely remember anything at all.

Fortunately I wrote it all down so you can enjoy the story again of how you single-handedly jump-started my dance career.  I put the story at the bottom of this letter.  One of these days I intend to write a book.  Don't be surprised when you discover you are the star one of my most important chapters, the TGIS story.

To help you understand the role you played in my life, I got started as a Disco instructor.  It was the only thing I knew how to teach.  I was making enough money at it to quit my day job as a child welfare investigator.  However, to my dismay, shortly after I quit my day job, the Discos in Houston started closing.  Thanks to John Travolta filming Urban Cowboy, all the Houston Discos anticipated the next dance craze would be Western and changed their stripes.  All those clubs went "western" only to discover very few people actually knew how to dance western. That included me.  Fortunately I barely managed to learn how to teach Western dance just in time to become Houston's first western dance teacher.

I was literally one step ahead of the posse for about four months there while I scrambled to learn new things to teach.  Thanks to my gamble, I was one of the first dance teachers in Houston to actually figure out how to explain the Twostep to all the urban professionals.  That hard-won skill plus your simple act of kindness created the opportunity of a lifetime and I took it!!

On a personal note, I have often wondered where you ever disappeared to.  I have always wanted to thank you personally.
I put the story on the Internet hoping you would eventually "google" your name and see what I had said about your participation in my career.  Thank goodness Steve Kole has finally connected us.  You should be proud to know that you were instrumental in helping me create the largest social dance studio in America.  You gave me just the break I needed.

So... Thank you, Linda Shuler, I am always in your debt.  If I can ever help in any way, I would be honored to do so.

Take care, Rick
 

Through the magic of Google and email, I had finally been able to express my gratitude.  Thank goodness. 

So I have two questions for my Readers. 

Did you notice I told Linda I intended to write a book?  I had already begun the first draft of my book, Magic Carpet Ride.  However it was the Realistic version. 

Did you notice that I avoided any mention of Supernatural involvement in my letters to Linda?  I just wasn't brave enough to reveal my private thoughts to a woman I barely knew. 

Although I did not mention God or Fate in my 2012 email to Linda, I had been sorely tempted.  For that reason, I had hoped to meet with Linda and share her thoughts about our 1980 TGIS connection in person.  However, once I realized Linda lived in San Antonio, I decided a meeting was out of the question.  So I kept my thoughts to myself.

Four years passed.  During that time, I worked on the Western Era segment of Magic Carpet Ride.  As one might guess, I was writing the Realistic version of The Mystery of the Texas Twostep. 

2012:  Thanks to Steve Kole, Linda Shuler and I exchanged emails.  There was no further correspondence.

2015:  Thanks to Jim Dulaney, I changed my version of Linda's 1980 act of kindness to include references to God and Fate.  I also decided to sub-divide the lengthy Magic Carpet Ride into three separate books.  Destiny became the working title for the first draft of the Mystical version of the Western Era. 

2016:  I finished my first draft of the Linda Shuler story in Destiny, an earlier draft of this book.

My conscience regarding Linda began to bother me in a way similar to Maria Ballantyne.  I had included Linda's full name in a story that contained strong religious and mystical claims.  Given that I had no idea what her personal beliefs were, how would she feel about having her name in print alongside my far-out claims?  Only one way to know.  I sent Linda a copy of the chapter she appeared in, mumbo jumbo mysticism included. 

This was her reply.
 

From: Linda Lucretia Shuler
Sent: Saturday, January 30, 2016
To: Rick Archer
Subject:  Regarding your book

I loved these passages from your biography Destiny.  I am truly touched to be remembered with such gratitude and fondness.   I was part of the spiritual plan, a conduit, I think.  Your angels were sitting on your shoulders, directing the action! 

In regard to the brief TGIS moment we shared, each of us operates internally or instinctively in different ways.  Regarding those "ten seconds" (was it really that long?) when I looked at you before accepting your dance class proposal, I was reaching inside myself, hoping to "feel" who you were, to get a sense of your nature, intent, talent.  To trust the inner voice and heed what it said. 

And so I did.  And now here you are so many years later, a huge success in every way.   Bravo!  

Thank you for your kind words, and for offering to help.  Yes, I do have a favor:  Is there a way you could help promote my book Hidden Shadows?  For example, I would be happy to come to a special book signing/celebration at your studio especially for your dance students, perhaps do a reading or some such, maybe a couple of door prizes. A festive occasion. Or... ?

A big hug to you,

Linda
 

Linda's reply affected me deeply.  I was amazed to discover Linda Shuler saw things the exact same way I did.  Not only that, this was the first time in my life another person had ever validated one of my Supernatural events.  Hmm.  Pleased to discover my benefactor shared my Mystic interpretation of this important event, maybe I wasn't so crazy after all.  

An exchange of emails revealed that Linda's mother, Linda Lay Shuler, was the well-known author of several historical romance novels.  In addition, Linda announced that her book had won several awards.  I complimented Linda and said I would be happy to help promote her book.  However, first I needed to know what her book was about. 
 

From: Linda Shuler
Sent: Sunday, January 31, 2016 2:59 PM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: Brief synopsis of Hidden Shadows

Rick, in response to your question asking what my book is about, here's a brief synopsis:

Hidden Shadows is a story of connection: to the land, to our ancestors, to others, to ourselves - and to the redemptive power of love.

Cassie Brighton, devastated by the accidental death of her husband, flees to a remote homestead deep in the rugged Texas Hill Country.

Alone in a ramshackle farmhouse steeped in family secrets, Cassie wages a battle of mind and heart as she struggles to overcome the sorrows of her past, begin anew, and confront the possibility of finding love again.

Hope this helps!  Linda

 

Curious, I bought a copy of Hidden Shadows and began reading.  Linda's book was filled with ghosts, omens, soul mates, and the discovery of a hidden world.  Several things she said were parallel to my own mystical outlook on life.  I was convinced Linda and I were kindred spirits. 

I am sorry to say my offer to host a reading party for Linda never came to pass.  That is because she came down with cancer.  I checked back several times in 2017, but the answer was always the same.  She was recovering, but not strong enough for a book tour.  One day I got brave and sent her several chapters from my own book.   Linda wrote a very nice follow-up letter.

From: Linda Shuler
Sent: Saturday, August 19, 2017 3:39 PM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: PS -- a thought

Rick, you state that "not once has God sent an angel over to shake my hand.  And if God has spoken to me, His Word has been soft, not obvious."

I have to laugh.  Read the story you've written.  God is evident in every action, and has been there throughout your story and your life.  Angels use humans as conduits.  They speak to us through the actions of others.  Can't you see?  They don't visit us as ghostly spirits in white gowns.  Your angels have been with you since the moment you were born -- you just haven't been aware of their presence.

So you've indeed shaken hands with them, danced with them, eaten with them, fought with them, made love to them, buried them, kissed them, met them in passing or for extended periods.  They speak to you unaware, from within -- like the time you and your dad were saved from being crushed by the racing car.  Wake up!  See the miracle of your life, and how it came to pass.  And it hasn't yet ceased!

Linda

In 2018, as I worked on the second draft of the TGIS chapter that featured Linda, I ran across the original list of the 125 students.  When I got to the part where I saw Linda's name on the List, that troubled me.  I was certain I never once saw Linda in my TGIS dance class.  Ordinarily I would trust my memory, but since I had her email address, why not simply ask Linda to confirm her presence.  And, if so, what did she remember about that dance class?
 

From: Linda Shuler
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2018 2:00 PM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: Re: curious about something

Hello again, Rick!

You asked for my recollections on that fateful TGIS dance class.  I do recall participating in a class that was loads of fun and crazy wild.  I partnered with Don Smith, and at one point he had me literally up in the air doing some sort of high-flying leap; my skirt flipped down and my panties showed, much to my chagrin!

So I'm pretty sure I was at your first lesson or two (I do have vague memories of that), to have fun as well as to reassure myself that I did the right thing by recommending your class. I loved to dance, and loved being in TGIS, so likely I attended more than once! (I don't remember more, since that was so long ago. How many years? 30 at least!)

Linda

Encouraged by Linda's confirmation that she had been there, I worked up the courage to ask her to reminisce on her 10-second snap decision.  I was curious to know if Linda ever had any second thoughts.   

From: Linda Shuler
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 1:19 PM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: RE: curious about something

Rick Archer asked:  "Did you by chance take the time to check on me before you gave final authorization the following Sunday?  Just curious."

The answer is simple: Nope!

The way my mind and spirit work is through immediate impression/emotion first and foremost -- followed then by the rational.  Perhaps it's not the recommended way of moving through life, but I'm a creative and emotional being, and so have learned to accept and appreciate the non-rational part of me and let it lead the way -- although at times it has led me into a rough patch or bumped me against a wall.

We are far apart in the way we function, which makes human beings interesting, don't you think?  My rational self often lectures the emotional, and vice versa.  I may have done well in a different career, a business-brain sort of thing, but I wouldn't have been happy.  I loved my work in theater, and loved my days in TGIS.  I approached each venture with an open heart and let it lead the way, towing my brain along for the ride.

To answer your question more fully:  I trust my creative instincts, that quick immediate impression.  What I saw when I first looked at you was a sincere fellow with a good heart, and so to put matters simply, I trusted you and your intent. I may not have been sure about your talent, since of course you hadn't the opportunity to demonstrate it, but what the heck.  It sounded like fun and was worth the risk.  The absolute worse that could have happened would've been for you to be lousy and for everyone there to be disappointed.  But that didn't happen, so all's well that ends well. 

I think "Fate" is simply divine-led opportunities laid before us.

But it depends upon our choice -- to follow the opportunity presented, or to choose a different path.  For example, you could have decided not to visit TGIS.  It was your decision that found the door, and your decision to risk opening it.

Life is interesting, isn't it? You never know what twists and turns it will take.  I'm so very glad to have made a difference in your life.  I know you've been a blessing to others, so it spreads, doesn't it?  One action leads to another, multiplying upon itself.

Linda

POSTSCRIPT ON TEN SECONDS

Serious

Soren Kierkegaard said that Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forward.  Ordinarily I agree with his observation.  It takes time to understand the impact of current events.  However, in regards to Linda Shuler, I did not need to wait 40 or 50 years to know something truly remarkable had taken place.  I was convinced Fate was involved the moment Linda took all of ten seconds to give permission.

Following my graduation from college in 1972, I had experienced six years of mediocrity.  After six years of failure, I considered myself an highly unlikely candidate for success.  Then one day a dance career fell into my lap out of thin air.  I became successful beyond my wildest imagination thanks to a series of opportunities. 

I had no idea why I had been singled out for such an incredible streak of good fortune.  However I was firmly convinced this charmed life of mine was God's Will.  Why not just accept my good luck and say thank you?  After that, I intended to repay my gifts by running the dance studio to the best of my ability.

Be that as it may, I still had trouble grasping why Linda had made such a hasty decision.  Linda Shuler was a leader, a sensible, sophisticated woman who took her responsibilities seriously... except when it came to me.  It made no sense that Linda would only take only 10 seconds to make a decision that would affect everyone person in the organization of 1,000. 

However, when Fate is involved, things do not have to make sense.  I believe Linda Shuler said yes simply because God asked her to. 

POSTSCRIPT ON CREDIBILITY

What do other people think about my books?   Here is what my friend Sharon had to say after reading A Simple Act of Kindness.

From: Sharon Shaw
Sent: Sunday, January 15, 2023 5:56 PM
To: Rick Archer
Subject: Regarding your book

Rick, I'm really enjoying your book.  Part of the reason is that it gives me so much insight into the way you grew up.  I had no idea you had such a tough childhood and I'm amazed at how you persevered and succeeded.  Not really surprised that you succeeded but that you were perceptive enough at that age to recognize some of the nudges you were getting and that you acted on them.

I'm not sure I agree with all of your supernatural events but I definitely agree with some of them.  I believe God has a plan for us and he gives us direction but we have volition to follow or not.
 

Sharon brings up a valid point.  How many of my stories can be considered as evidence for the existence of Fate?  For example, the Mystery of the Texas Twostep has included 20 stories that I felt deserved to be added to my List of Suspected Supernatural Events.  Do I actually believe every one of them was an act of Fate?  No.  The ones I had doubts about were listed as 'Suspicious'.  On the other hand, the ones labeled 'Serious' were definite eye-openers. 

When you include my other books, my List crosses the 100 threshold.  Do I actually believe every one of them was an act of Fate?  Same story.  The Suspicious ones are a maybe, the Serious ones contain a very high degree of improbability. 

There are two things I learned during my own search for meaning.  First, the path to a belief in Fate is a gradual process.  I first began to think about Fate when Mrs. Ballantyne made her 1968 Parking Lot Intervention.  That was Event #20.  However, it was not until a dance career was handed to me out of thin air in 1978 that the remaining grains of doubt were erased.  As one can see, it took me 10 years to make up my mind.  There is nothing wrong with doubt.  The important thing is to keep an open mind and stay observant.

No Coincidence by itself is enough to convince a skeptic that Fate exists.  When viewed in isolation, any one of my 100 events has room for doubt, even the 'Serious' Lucky Breaks like Linda Shuler's 10-second gift of a lifetime. 

But what happens when you consider the combined 'improbability' of 100 events?  Here is what Carl Jung had to say.

"The problem of Synchronicity has puzzled me for a long time, ever since my middle twenties when I was investigating the phenomena of the collective unconscious.  I kept on coming across connections which I simply could not explain as chance groupings.  What I found were 'coincidences' which were connected so meaningfully that their chance concurrence would represent a degree of improbability that would have to be expressed by an astronomical figure."   

Let's play a game.  Let's say I am wrong about 90 of my 100 events, but 10 of them are almost impossible to dismiss.  What are the odds of a lucky break like Linda Shuler granting me the gift of a lifetime?  How about a modest '1 in 10'.  Then pick 9 others that seem highly unlikely such as Maria Ballantyne's 1968 Parking Lot intervention.  Let's give them each 1 in 10 chance of happening using the Rules of Reality.  10 to the 10th power is Ten Billion.  10,000,000,000.  If just 10 of my events were legitimate acts of Fate, the combined improbability "would have to be expressed by an astronomical figure."

I used another way to acquire my belief in Fate and the existence of God.  I called it 'Paint by Numbers'.  One incident by itself is not enough.  However, as the curious events pile up, a picture begins to emerge.  Over the course of a lifetime, each time something strange happens, the Big Picture becomes easier to see.  So let me go out on a limb and share a risky thought.

I have spent most of my life afraid to reveal my belief in Fate and God to the public.  However, the realization that my mentors Maria Ballantyne and Linda Shuler think the same way I do has given me the courage to speak.  As I said earlier, most people struggle to think of 3 weird stories.  I can name 120.  Surely there is a purpose behind this, but what could it be?

I have never read a book that has attempted to PROVE the existence of Fate.  I believe God handed me 120 stories because He wanted me to write that book. 

WALKING WITH DESTINY

2001: THE END OF THE EPIC LOSING STREAK

In addition to Linda Shuler, I have another witness willing to vouch for my Credibility.  That would be my wife Marla, the love of my life.  In 2001, Marla participated in the Gypsy Prophecy, one of the three most startling Supernatural Events of my life.   

My Supernatural Dry Spell began in 1984.  Marla ended it in 2001.  That was the year Marla and I connected on a cruise trip.  Although Marla knew me as her dance teacher prior to the trip, otherwise I was invisible to her.  Marla had a boyfriend.  Although he never came to the studio, Marla said they had been together for six years. 

I got divorced early in 2001.  Feeling dejected, Marla was the only woman I was interested in.  However, it was obvious she was not interested in me, so I kept my distance.  My intuition insisted that something was amiss with Marla's six-year relationship.  However, I did not dare pry due to a loss of confidence following my divorce.  Then something curious happened.  In April Marla signed up for my studio's cruise trip without the boyfriend.  What is wrong with this guy?  No man in his right mind would allow a woman with Marla's looks to go on a singles dance cruise alone. 

There was an interesting backstory as to why Marla came on this trip alone.  Unbeknownst to me, in March Marla went to a dance club with some friends from the studio.  Late in the night Marla noticed a gypsy situated at the back of the club.  Curious, Marla asked the gypsy to read her fortune.  In Marla's words:

"The Gypsy handed me a deck of Tarot cards and asked me to shuffle them several times.  She asked for the cards back and proceeded to lay the top five cards down on the table.  After studying the cards, she took the palm of my hand and examined my lifeline.  For good measure, she put my hand between hers and closed her eyes.  When the Gypsy was ready, she opened her eyes and told me my fortune."

According to Marla, here is what the Gypsy told her.

"These cards do not tell what will happen, they tell what might happen.  You have a choice between two paths.  You are in a long-term relationship that brings you sorrow.  However, there is a good chance this relationship will work again if you nurture it.  On the other path, I see you are considering a certain journey.  If you take this journey, your life will be changed forever.  On this journey, you will meet the man you will spend the rest of your life with.  Not only that, you already know this man."
 

When Marla got back to her table, her friends made fun of the gypsy's hogwash.  Feeling silly, Marla promptly erased the gypsy's prediction from her mind.  However, now that the subject of the cruise trip had come up, her friend Sherry asked Marla to be her roommate.  Marla decided to come on the trip with Sherry and leave her boyfriend at home.

Six months passed.  On the first night of the trip I went up to the Disco at midnight.  I was stunned to see Marla standing in the doorway ready to leave.  Rushing to greet her, Marla said she was here because Sherry was too chicken to come alone.  However, now that Sherry was out on the dance floor, Marla wanted to leave.  Hoping to change her mind, I asked Marla to dance.  When we finished, I invited her to join me for a drink at the bar.

As we spoke, to Marla's surprise she began to see me in a much different light.  As Marla later put it, "Back at the studio, you were always aloof and strictly business.  However, in the middle of our conversation I suddenly realized how much I enjoyed listening to you." 

Oddly enough, I noticed when her realization took place.  Marla's expression had suddenly changed.  After a double-take and several blinks, Marla seemed much more interested in me.  I had been invisible before the trip, so she was seeing me for the first time.  When I saw her eyes light up, I said to myself, "Holy Cow, there is something really strange going on here.  I might have a chance with this girl after all."  

That was the night we fell in love.  From that point on, Marla and I were inseparable.  We ended the cruise trip hand in hand with a promise to give our new relationship every chance to succeed.  It was full speed ahead.  The only question was how long we should wait till marriage.

One year passed.  Marla and I decided to take a 2002 cruise trip to celebrate our first anniversary.  One night as we sat alone in the lounge, Marla gasped in surprise.  The memory of the Gypsy had just returned.

Marla grabbed my hand and exclaimed, "Rick, I have a really crazy story to tell you.  I just remembered that six months before we met on last year's trip, a Gypsy predicted I would meet the man I would spend the rest of my life with if I took the trip I had been thinking about.  She said I already knew the man.  I think the Gypsy meant you."

I felt a sudden attack of goosebumps.  This was way too eerie.  As Marla told the story, I could not help but think our relationship was predestined.  Marla was perfect for me.  Not only did she end my 'Supernatural Dry Spell', Marla put my 'Epic Losing Streak' to rest as well.  I was positive I had found the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. 

Although we waited till 2004 to make it official, Marla and I agree we were married from the moment we met during the 2001 Cruise Trip.

There is no way to scientifically prove the existence of Fate.  However, through observation, I think it is possible to gather enough significant clues to justify a firm belief in Fate.  Now it is up to the Reader to decide if you agree with me. 

I hope you have enjoyed The Mystery of the Texas Twostep.  Thank you for reading,

Rick Archer
December 2025