Reality following art?

In my very first draft of Science, Magic, and Mayhem, which I finished in early 2022, I included a very large alligator that just so happened to live at the Armand Bayou Nature Center. Through beta reading, edits, and so many different versions, the book wasn’t made available publicly until August 8, 2024.

In a bizarre case of reality following art, I noticed that a 50 foot metal alligator was erected at the very same Armand Bayou Nature Center mentioned in the book in 2024. Not only is the coincidence completely random, but the size of the alligator, named Armando, matches exactly the size of the alligator in my book.

I swear the story came first, and I have receipts to prove it, not that it really matters. Regardless, I find this coincidence hilarious and amazing, so enjoy another shot of Armando, my now unofficial mascot.

ARMANDO, 2024, A 50’ long, Core Ten steel, alligator at the entrance to Armand Bayou Nature Center