Didja ever see the old suspense movie Sorry, Wrong Number? The incomparable Barbara Stanwyck plays a bedridden woman who serendipitously overhears on her telephone two men plotting a woman's murder. The movie revolves around Stanwyck's character trying to prevent the murder but there are, of course, plot twists and surprises which I won't give away here. Watch the movie or do a Google search if you want the details (best to see the movie, however).
But how about a real wrong number cases that turns into something of miracle in its own right. The story was reported in the Christmas 1966 edition of the St. Joseph News-Press. It is available to read online via the Google news archive. Let me relate the details now.
It seems that Elizabeth Drake was at home on a Friday evening craving ice cream. So much so in fact that she was moved to call the information operator in order to obtain the phone number of a local ice cream parlor.
With said number in hand Drake made the call. The phone rang and rang and she was just about to hang up when a woman in weakened voiced answered the phone pleading for help.
Quick-thinking Drake immediately laid down the phone and went next door to a neighbor to call the police. The police were able to trace the phone call to an elderly lady, a Ms. Friedman, who was found unconscious after having suffered a stroke. At the time story was printed Ms. Friedman was in the hospital, still alive, and in fair condition.
Some people feel there are no accidents in life. How amazing is it that an ice cream craving directly leads to a life-saving rescue?
Perhaps you're thinking it was luck. The newspaper went on to report how a police Sgt. Kishman pointed out a "strange thing" about this case in that the numbers of the ice cream parlor and woman's apartment were not similar in any way, not even having the same prefix.
My personal worldview makes room for these amazing "accidents." In fact, my worldview is that life itself is not an accident or happy coincidence. I believe in purpose and direction.
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