A Serendipitous Path

"The journey to victory is paved with serendipity" - Laura Hatcher

First, let's get this out of the way....Congratulations to my Army Brothers and Sisters, great game yesterday --it's always a bitter fight to the end!

Whether you are a fan or not, a veteran or not, a Service Academy grad or not, the excitement of our nation's most spirited game is irresistible.

My plan to watch the game took an unexpected turn this year. Last year, I had the incredible opportunity to photograph the entire game from the field, courtesy of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Foundation. However, this year, with the addition of a rambunctious 9-month-old black Labrador named Max (a classic move when becoming empty nesters), our plans were more subdued.

Yesterday's strategy involved a pre-game stroll with Max so my husband and I could catch the first half in our local sports bar while he napped.

As Max and I ventured into the neighborhood, we encountered a small pile of white powder on our curb – Max is still in the 'let's vacuum everything' phase. With no sidewalk on my side of the street, I was a little concerned and my Intel Officer instincts kicked in, so I snapped a photo on my phone.

Following our usual neighborhood route, we noticed the small white piles guiding the way. About a quarter of the way through our walk, we crossed paths with Marty, an elderly gentleman holding a shopping bag (filled with flour), a walking stick, a printed map, and donning an Army beanie.

It turned out Marty was lost and needed assistance getting back on his printed map. He explained he was a member of the DC Hash House Harriers, a running club with a drinking problem, and was marking the group's walking event. He said his friend Colin was hosting him.  I invited Marty to join us on our walk, as it seemed our route was the two-mile distance he needed, and his friend's house was close to mine.

During our walk, we shared brief glimpses of our career stories. Marty's was notably more impressive than mine – a 1964 West Point Grad, a Vietnam Veteran, a retired Colonel, and a seven-time marathon runner.

As we walked Marty back to Colin's house, I realized it was so close to mine I could see it from my kitchen window. Colin wasn't home, he was prepping the Harrier's running route but I decided I would return later to meet him, especially since his license plate said USNA 92+1 --this meant there was a chance we already knew each other.

I did return late in the third quarter, and Colin was hosting an all male gathering of the DCH3 to watch the game in his back yard - a mix of Army, Navy, Marine Corps and civilian Harriers.

If you're going to crash the party, you have to own it. And I'm glad I did because Colin and I have crossed paths before in that he was a USNA company mate to my best friend and Navy Volleyball teammate Stephanie.

Thank you Marty & Colin, despite the game results, our serendipitous encounter embodies what this annual tradition is all about.

By the way, Happy Birthday Gentlemen (they both share a 10 December birthday!)

Go Navy! Beat Army!