if not for a nail

To think I almost missed it tonight.
If not for the folks at the Congress Street Social Club, there might not have been a coupon.
If not for the Sand Gnats, I might not have had the coupon for the free appetizer.
If not for the coupon's looming expiration date, I might not have decided to use it.
If not for the SCAD Cinema Circle bringing one of my favorite films last night to the Trustees Theatre, I might not have been downtown.
If not for my long-time infatuation with Harrison Ford, I might not have gone to the film at the Trustees Theatre.
If not for my general ennui yesterday, I might have been downtown earlier to redeem the coupon prior to the film.
If I had been downtown earlier, I might have missed running into an ex-Chili Pepper and current PFS fan.
If not for him having a gig that evening at the Social Club, he might not have been there.
If not for him eating dinner there near the door as I walked in, I might not have seen him.
If not for our mutual friendship with the peace Guy, he might not have spoken to me.
If not for our mutual friendship with the PFS guy, he might not have mentioned the special screening scheduled for tonight at the Sentient Bean.
If not for my long-time infatuation with Paul Newman, I might not have been interested enough to go there tonight.
If not for Wash Plus closing early tonight, I might have been washing clothes too late for me to go to the PFS film.
If not for the PFS guy not being the best at getting the word out, the site might have been too crowded for me to find a seat.
If not for the special blue PFS passes given to me by the other Joe, I might not have had the cash needed for the ticket tonight.
If not for me giving a giant movie poster to the other Joe, he might not have given me the special blue PFS passes.
If not for the fundraiser at the Lucas Theatre, I might not have had the giant movie poster.
If not for my love of the title song of "Singin' in the Rain", I might not have been at the Lucas Theatre and run into the other Joe.
If not for my love of the indomitable JinHi, I might not have been such a generous supporter of the fundraiser.
If I had not lost all of my bids at the silent auctions of the fundriaser, the theatre might not have decided to reward me by giving me the giant movie poster of that night's film.
If the other Joe had not been a kind soul and new to town and a fan of that film and of movie art, he might not have agreed to take the giant movie poster (for which I have no available wall).
Whew!
If not for that string of events occuring in just the right order, I would not have been where I needed to be tonight.
And I would have missed the 1972 film, produced and directed by Paul Newman, adapted from a play titled, "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds".
The film I had never seen, but I had read the book, oh so many years ago.
The story is even referenced by Leonard to Penny on the award-winning television show about physicists, "The Big Bang Theory".
A film about nuclear radiation and Cobalt-60 and gamma rays.
On a night when I've been writing a test for my students to take tomorrow night, a test about those very things.

Life is strange and beautiful, just like those mutated flowers.