By Melodee Currier

A “turning point” is a point in time when something happens in your life that causes a change in direction.  Don’t be surprised if you don’t realize a turning point has occurred until years later when you step back and can see the full picture.

I have experienced over twenty unplanned pivotal changes in my life.  Most were good, some not so good and one was downright ugly.  Their themes were mostly centered on reaching goals, careers, relocating, health, and relationships.  Many times these unexpected detours turned out better than the trip I planned.

One turning point happened during my sophomore year of high school in gym class.  The guys were on one side of the gym and the girls were on the other.  While we were waiting for the signal for the boys to ask the girls to dance, several girls sitting around me were buzzing with excitement, giggling and arguing amongst themselves, saying that one of the best looking boys was motioning to them.  I didn’t think anything of it, but when he came over to our side, he chose ME!  You could have heard a pin drop.  That was when I realized I wasn’t the wallflower I thought I was and my life changed dramatically.

The most significant turning point in my life, however, was the birth of my only child.  He was so perfect I couldn’t believe he was mine!  Dionne Warwick’s song “I Never Knew Love Before — Then Came You” describes my love for him.  And bringing him into this world has been life changing for me in so many ways.

They say love happens when you least expect it.  I didn’t know when I went to a book signing that it would lead me to my husband of nearly 25 years.  The author was taking a long time signing books, so I started talking with the woman standing behind me.  We became instant friends, exchanged phone numbers and met for lunch a few times.  One day she asked me if she could give my phone number to a guy she worked with.  He called me and within a couple days we went on the date that never ended.

I realize that I wouldn’t be a freelance writer today if it weren’t for a co-worker who enjoyed listening to my unconventional true stories and encouraged me to enter a national magazine writing contest.  I didn’t win the contest, but I enjoyed the process of writing so much I continued writing and haven’t stopped.

The “ugly” turning point happened recently while my husband and I were on our way to breakfast.  Driving through a green light, a car suddenly turned in front of us, nearly causing a head-on collision.  We were rushed by ambulance to the hospital’s trauma center where it was discovered I fractured my sternum and my ribs, and suffered several other injuries while my husband badly injured his leg.   While recuperating at home, I realized that we escaped death thanks to divine intervention.  I counted my blessings and made life-changing goals to improve the way I was before the accident — mentally, physically and spiritually.  There is a relatively new term for this, “post traumatic growth,” and I knew this was a defining moment for me.

The common thread in these turning points is that they all started with one other person — the boy who asked me to dance, the husband who fathered my son, the woman I met at the book signing, the co-worker who encouraged me to write, the woman who drove the car that caused our accident.  All were events that started without much fanfare, but ended up being life changers.

Life is mysterious and can be exciting — every moment is an opportunity for change.  The next person you meet may just change your life.  You might even win the lottery!

© 2015 Melodee Currier

Mel Currier left corporate America in 2008 where she was an intellectual
property paralegal.  Since then she has devoted her time to writing and has
had numerous articles published on a wide variety of topics.   Her articles
can be read on her website www.melodeecurrier.com. Mel is an occasional contributor to True Stories Well Told.