Do you believe in destiny? Do you try to decipher deeper meaning from what may be just coincidence? We tackle the subject and toss you a few good laughs along the way.
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Intro
My guest for this episode is David Fedor, Pittsburgh comedian, improviser, and member of the comedy troupe Hustlebot.
02:48 Pod Pourri
– We wax philosophical about the origins of a belief (or lack of belief) in destiny.
– Dave talks about his weirdo encounters with the number 22 and I share my own coincidental anecdotes.
– Dave shares a very personal account of the somewhat strange series of events leading up to his father’s death.
– Some friends of mine submitted their own destiny/coincidence stories for sharing. Let’s judge them!
– Serendipity is a terrible movie and we both LOVE IT.
44:45 Games People Play
– Frisketball, you guys.
– Hustlebot’s short film Roll the Dice has an official drinking game! (Aside: you MUST listen to the podcast sodelet of Hustlebot’s Ding Dong Power Hour!)
– We discuss games involving luck vs. skill. SCRABBLE IS NOT ALL LUCK, YOU GUYS.
Outro
– Check out Hustlebot and the Pittsburgh Improv Jam!
– Dave is also on Twitter at @DSFedor!
If you have any intriguing stories about coincidence or fate, leave ’em in the comments! And thanks for adding it up with us!
What’s interesting about the game thing: I do largely like games of skill over games of luck.
However, if we play a game of Flux or Cards Against Humanity, I don’t really care who wins, yet I like playing both of them. In Flux, I play for anyone to win. In Cards Against Humanity, of course I want to win, but I also want to give or solicit the best/most ridiculous/most embarrassing/most terrible ‘answer’. I will sacrifice my own pride for the sake of humor and awesomeness.
I mean, it makes sense with your personality. I agree with you in a lot of ways. And yes, Fluxx and Cards Against Humanity are hilariously fun even if you don’t win, so I’m totally with you there!
When you solicited destiny stories on FB, I thought I should sit this one out because I didn’t want to bring the podcast down to a dark place. So thanks, Dave, for opening the floor to spooky Dead Parents Club stories!
I have a million, but I’ll only share one (you can read the rest in the “Don’t Be Psychic” chapter of my memoir, forthcoming from In My Dreams Press): The night before my dad had the stroke that killed him, his mother (near death after her own stroke) called my house and DEMANDED to speak to my dad. She called him “Brian” which I’d never heard her do before. I told her he was out Christmas shopping and wasn’t available, and she started accusing me of lying, because she knew that something had happened to him. She was so upset and totally convinced that something horrible had happened to my dad that I was trying to cover up. Although to be fair, she was wrong at that particular moment, her psychic powers were off by a few hours.
Also, on the subject of coincidence? I’ve met people who went to that Harrisburg comedy fest in Washington DC and Las Vegas. They remembered Hustlebot and I’d say, “Oh, John is one of my best friends!” and they’d say, “Which one is John?” and I’d say “he’s really tall” which got us nowhere.
Yeah, I have other “spooky Dead Parents Club stories” too, Robin, that I wanted to tell, and while they’re juicy and fate/destiny/coincidental and perfect for the theme, I didn’t want to depress myself and all the listeners! I’ll gladly depress readers of comments, however, by sharing one more, in 3 parts:
Part 1: My dad and I took a roadtrip in the summer of 2009. We just drove all over and visited a bunch of cool cities, did a whole lot of touristy stuff, 13 states in one week. It was pretty awesome. At the time, Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” had been just released, so every radio station everywhere played it… and it drove my dad nuts. He hated the song, and so everytime it would play, I would turn up the radio and sing along, dancing, and he’d just get annoyed and make fun of the “P-p-p-poker” part. By the end of the trip it became a bit, and I could tell it became fun for him too.
Part 2: My family is pretty Slovak. 100%, actually. My dad’s parents came over from Slovakia, my mom’s parents were first generation born here in America. So all of our traditions and foods are ridiculously Slovak. Every Christmas there is a Slovak mass at the church in Duquesne where we went to when we lived there, where I was baptized, where my dad is buried. They conduct a whole Christmas mass in the Slovak language, then afterward have a Slovak dinner in the hall downstairs; kielbasa and sauerkraut, haluski, pastries, etc. So last year my brother and I went to the mass with my Aunt MJ, my dad’s oldest sister. It was pretty difficult to be there, but I knew it was something that my dad would appreciate, family & heritage and all.
Part 3: After the Slovak mass and meal, I said goodbye to my Aunt and brother and got in my car. Even though the night was emotional, I was able to maintain composure, choking back tears if I needed to. But the goodbyes got tough, and as I sit in my car I started feeling pretty overwhelmed. It’s hard to describe without saying “it felt like my dad was there,” like a combination of anxiety grief but also the warmth of love and comfort. Shaking, I picked up my iPhone and it INSTANTLY started playing Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” It was like a punch in the gut and I started bawling my eyes out before it turned into laughter and dancing, just like we did on our roadtrip.
I teared up reading these stories, you two. AT WORK. But I don’t regret it at all. My podcast happens to be funny a lot of the time, but it’s not JUST a comedy podcast. I love my friends and think they lead interesting lives — sad stuff included — and am really just looking to capture all sides of that! I’m glad we talked about your dad, Dave. It’s a good story, even though it’s a sad one.
And Robin, as always, thank you for sharing yours, too.
OH! And you posting about a song made me remember another little RECURRING coincidence. Joe and I have only ever had like 3 really big fights. Our song is “Happy Together” by the Turtles, and for TWO of those three big fights we’ve had, we were driving in the car and I was giving Joe the silent treatment when “Happy Together” came on the radio. The first time this happened, I let it play and it softened my mood. The next time it happened, I angrily turned off the radio. :/