When I was much younger, I had a game for Sega Genesis called "Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine" or something to that effect. Basically, you went around and collected clues to solve a mystery. I loved that game because everything happened for a reason. If there was an object in a room, you had to pick it up, use it, push or pull it, open or close it... nothing was superfluous and everything had a use. You all remember games like that, don't you?

Sometimes my life is like that, with things happening for a reason. And sure, big things, the biggest things even, happen for a reason... but today I'm talking about a little thing like grabbing something by chance that happens to be really useful later on. For example, a few days ago I got my grande-with-room-americano from Starbucks, and as I was heading out the door something told me to grab a napkin. I have no idea why; I never take napkins, nor do I ever use them. But this time, I took the napkins. Five minutes later, in my car, I somehow managed to spill on my center console. I guess you could argue that I was subconsciously careless because I knew I had a safety net in the napkins. I looked at it as serendipity.

Since then, I have collected a drinking straw, a small half and half container, and a trial size body lotion (Aveeno). I know they will come in handy sometime soon... It's like my own personal Sega game: "Alli's Mystery Machine." Except all of the objects I collect seem to fall into the categories of coffee and beauty accessories. Also, instead of storing the objects in my knapsack or whathaveyou, they just kind of wait patiently in the bottom of my purse for their moment of glory. What an awesome game.