The Watched Pot Syndrome

A simple thought, really.

But, in telling the story of my proposing to my fiance to friends last night over dinner, I was struck -- again -- by the strange phenomenon of the watched pot syndrome.

By this, I mean the inevitable cause and effect that occurs whenever you need something to happen: A job to book in, a contract to sign, a cheque to arrive, or in may case, for the phone to ring, and it just won't. You're watching the pot, and it just won't boil, hence the old adage.

In this particular case, you need the phone to ring to let you know that the ring is done, so that you can finally propose to the love of your life by the absolute deadline of Christmas. And it's Christmas Eve morning. And, after checking your phone, you see that you haven't missed any phone calls. So what do you do?

Well - you take a shower, and lather up. Make sure to use a lot of shampoo, and -- this is critical -- bring the phone into the shower. Because that is how you insure the phone will ring. As it did. And the ring was just as beautiful and unique as I had hoped it would be. Thank you Jenny at Julius Cohen Jewelers for making it happen.

But about this watched pot syndrome: It is simply further proof that time is elastic? The same way that a moment an last an eternity - or a day or week can fly by in a flash? We can control the way we experience life; our sense of satisfaction and enjoyment by structuring our own reality. In a way, it's a different way of thinking about the Romantics obsession with the "Spark of the Divine" that we all posses. Perhaps, we are more Godlike than we believe.

Or maybe I'm just hungover.