So I was given a “new” office at work; here’s the backstory, one of the more unbelievable coincidences I have ever witnessed.

I walked through the front door this morning, schlepping a large athletic bag filled with photos, papers, a second monitor for my laptop, speakers, and all of the average office accoutrement one would bring to the first day at “the office”.

John is my roommate. He is the Director of online learning for the gaming department at AAU. He was already here when I walked in.

“How’s it going?” he asked.

I told him the backstory.

He let out a hearty laugh. “Ok, those are some pretty impossible odds, you being here again!”

I unpacked my stuff, organized my desk, put a picture of Emily and a photo of me and my rookie AAU class on a bookshelf that faces me. An assistant came in and gave me the key to our space. I put it on my key ring, along with the key to my desk.

I had been using my personal key count to gauge the status of my life. I have been at three for quite a while. Now I have 5 keys. They make a different jangle- the tone and pitch is different.

I looked out my window, the Transamerica Pyramid across the street. The Financial District throngs pack the sidewalks, the streets clogged by delivery trucks parked in lanes, flashers on.

Then I just sat there for a few minutes. How is it that I am back in this spot? I first walked into this building April 1, 1993. This building was the reason I moved to the Bay Area. Now it is my office again.

The deja vu is rather incredible, but after a few days this office will be ordinary, and I’ll think about the coincidence less.

Still, I feel like I have a chance at a do-over. What did I do the first time I was at 700 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, and what will I do now?

Things are changing for all of us. We are evolving/devolving, moving forward, struggling to make it, experiencing joy and pain and bliss and anger, depending on our life circumstance.

This feels more like a window opening than a religious or karmic experience. There’s a reason I’m here- I’m going to try as hard as I can to optimize this experience.

I logged in to the AAU server. I have stuff to do.

Here we go.