Coincedence? Or not?

A man walks into an old antique store, only to find his mothers old records from decades ago. They had been missing ever since she had died. And when he walked into that store that day, he was reunited with them.

The lick-on label was unmistakable. Paul Campfield was reading his mother's name and the address of his childhood San Lorenzo home

And it meant the old records he picked up for $2 at a Sutter Creek antique shop had once belonged to her, although she died in Redding in 1979.

The 68-year-old Sacramento man never knew what came of his record collection owned by his mother, May O. Rainey. He simply remembered how they fit into slots in a compartment beneath the oak RCA Victor console with the automatic turntable.

"It's just a thrill, a genuine thrill," said Campfield, a retired engineering technician. "I think my mother is still with me."

Campfield has thought of his mother regularly these last 30 years. She pops into his head when he hears certain songs, dances the waltz, or eats a chocolate divinity.

He bought an old-style record player from JC Penney a few years back, and earlier this summer, popped into Old Hotel Antiques where he picked up a dozen vinyl 45s.

This week, he pulled them out of the clear plastic bag and that's when he noticed his mother's block-lettered address label on "That is Rock and Roll" by the Coasters. It was on the Freddy Cannon record, and the Elvis Presley one, too. It looked like there once were labels on the Lloyd Price, Alvin Tyler and Fats Domino records as well.

"There's a reason for this," Campfield said. "I don't really believe in ghosts, but who knows."

So coincedence? Or not? Had his mother influenced him into going in that store to find her records? What does everyone else think?

Ive always thought there was a design to everything. And I certainly dont believe in coincedences.


[Read original article here www.sacbee.com... ]

[edit on 31-7-2009 by Jess_Undefined]

maybe coincidence and maybe not, thanks for sharing. Some people believe that the souls of their deceased loved ones watch over them long after that pass on.

I remember reading this a while back and was fascinated.

Like you, I don't really believe in coincidence. He was guided or drawn to the book store by someone or something. Maybe he was more in tune to a universal connection than most of us. Maybe the things had left some kind of imprint that caused him to follow.

As you can see, I am just guessing. Sorry I don't have much to offer. Also, don't want to see this thread die as surely someone here will have good insight.

I wonder if my daughter will, in 30 years be drawn to a store and buy a copy of Black Sabbath/Paranoid and recall how her dear old pop used to play the living hell out of his multiple copies since he wore so many of them out, for over 35 plus years and still going?

I am not sure of coincidences. I don't know whether to believe there are such things or that there are no such things and all things happen by design. Was it a coincidence that the only 1 of my 5 siblings was a perfect match for me for a kidney transplant, and, the only one who was willing to donate without having to mull over the idea a coincidence? I don't know.

reply to post by Jess_Undefined


Wow what an encouraging story a star and flag for you. It seems as though his mother did lead him there. What is the statistical chance of him happening to be at that spot the very same time his mothers old record collection was? It has to be a billion to one odds or higher.

[edit on 7/31/2009 by grapesofraft]

Yes, it's a "coincidence". The question is, "Is this a *meaningful* coincidence?" Hard to say.

It doesn't seem that the odds against this happening are so great. Where would you go to buy old records? A junk or antique store. It isn't surprising to find old records in such a store. The distance between Sutter Creek and Redding is what, 400 miles or so? So that's pretty far, but OTOH, how many antique stores are there?

I've had the experience of seeing my old books in used bookstores. I often give my old books away, so it's not surprising that they wind up getting resold. I hang around used bookstores, so naturally I'm more likely to run across one of mine, than if I only went to the new stores.

So while this man's story is strange, I wouldn't necessarily be saying his mother's got a message for him from beyond the grave or something.

No im pretty sure my question was if it was a coincidence. To me theres no such thing as a "meaningful coincidence". It either happened by very pure chance, or there was a design in life that he was suppose to find these records decades after his mother had passed. And I soley believe there is a design to everything.

Ive had so many weird things happen that seemed like coincidence but was just too far off the charts for them to be.

Has anyone else ever had something like this happen to them? If so ide love to hear storys about it =]