Good Karma. Oh crap, now what?

It started out with a simple thing. A couple of my experiments in the lab went pretty well. One would hope successes would be more frequent, but they are not for me. So when even just one things goes well, you feel like you are on a roll.

On Thursday, a friend of mine realized that he would not be using his allotment of exercise money. That is to say at his work place, he is allotted $300 to go towards gym memberships or exercise equipment. Out of the blue, he came up to our lab and said, "Hey, I heard your bike got stolen. I'll buy you a new one." He explained how he had never used his money and he felt like it was a waste that it never got used. He made it sound like I would be doing him a favor. But really, I'd be getting the discounted bike.

Over watermelon beers and Popeye's fried chicken, I asked A what she thought about my good fortune. "Oh, I think it's good Karma. You should take your friend up on his offer. That way, the Universe will make sure something good with happen to him. Maybe someone will give him a car."

Although not intentional, I think the idea of Karma was planted in the back of my mind. For months now, I have meant to buy gifts for the people at the research center in Hiroshima Japan. I had a wonderful summer there, and according to Japanese tradition I should have sent them some American trinkets. I had been incredibly slow and lazy about it, but I this weekend I felt motivated to buy things. The problem was that I still had my original stumbling block. What would be uniquely, Bostonian that would appeal to a Japanese person? The only thing I could imagine was Boston Red Sox t-shirts that had Daisuke Matsuzaka's number on them.

Before trekking out to Fenway Park and its vendors, I stopped by Filene's Basement. Because the store will be closing forever, everything was an additional 10% off. I found tons of cute tops, and fell in love with this little crocheted number. When I went into the bin of Red Sox t-shirts amongst a sea of Ortizes, Ramirezes, Schillings, Wakefields, and Papelbons, I found 4 Matsuzakas. Score! Then there were bins of the Lindt Truffles H loves so much. Score, again!

When I was waiting in line to pay my plastic tote bag of stuff, I greedily examined my treasures. I just paid taxes on June 15th, so prudence told me I needed to put something away. I weighed my options. How many T-shirts did I need? How adorable did I look in that top? Won't the chocolate melt before making it to Japan? Didn't that top match my green skirt so well?

I patted my little crocheted top, sighed, and put on the side next the cash register to be reshelved. I waited in line and was almost up to the register when the woman in front of me turned and said "Honey, if you are buying more than 50 dollars worth of stuff, here is a 10% off coupon." In the words of John Lennon, "Instant Karma."

With such good Karma on my side I cannot help but be worried. I can be unapologetically cruel, unforgiving, petty and had just proclaimed to be more bitchy for the summer. And while I normally think events happen as a matter of coincidence and statistics last week made me think. So how does Karma operate? Does the Universe reward good deeds and punish evil ones? Or is it an null sum game where if good things happen then bad things have to happen? I admit it, I am losing sleep over this one. Whoever thought such good things could stress me out?

[Correction: While I first wrote that Filene's Basement would be closing forever, that is incorrect. It is scheduled to reopen in 2009. Thank you, A.]