The right place at the right time...

By Karen Dums

Call it Divine Intervention.
Call it fate.
Call it perfect alignment of your stars.
Call it pure chance or coincidence.
Sometimes it's all a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

So a guy walks into a bar... Scratch that.

So a guy and his wife walk into a bistro. Their second choice for dinner out. They order drinks and a pizza. The owner, who knows the guy is a poet, says he'll give him the pizza for free if he stands up and recites one of his poems. This guy has a great voice, both in his writing and in his presentation. Free pizza? Why not. He stands and recites "The Catchall", one of his many poems about fishing.

Two guys are sitting at the bar. Two guys who happen to publish a little paper downstate. A little paper that also has an online presence. When they hear the poem they are impressed (as well they should have been) and ask the guy for some information. Request his poetry. A chance for publication. Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Did the owner know the two men were in the publishing biz when he asked the guy to recite his poem?

Doesn't really matter, does it? All the pieces were perfectly in place for an opportunity. An opportunity Scott Schmidt, who happens to be "the guy", and who happens to be an active member of Third Story Writer's Guild, took. He took it, he ran with it. Where will it lead? We don't know, but it was an open door. Scott took a chance and stepped through it.

What if he and his wife had gone to the other restaurant they were considering?

What if CCC owner Greg Broome hadn't asked him to recite a poem?

What if he'd been too shy to do it?

[See above]

What if we have opportunity staring us in the face and either don't recognize it, or won't take note of it because of fear or some other "holding us back" emotion?

Not all of us write with an eye to publication. We're content to hide our light under the proverbial bushel. And that's more than okay. But those who want it. Truly want it, must set aside fear, shyness, anything that holds them back and go for it. When opportunity knocks they must open the door and walk  bold through.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained may be a cliche', but it's a true one.

Way to go Scott. Good luck with this. May it bring you great success.

I for one would love to say "I knew him when..."