Daily Serendipity

Walking around in public is weird. When I walk down a path surrounded by different, unfamiliar people going all sorts of ways, so many things can happen. On the surface, it is mundane. But consider how it is profound. You are walking happily along your way when you decide to go left instead of right and you cross paths with a friend. You both stop and talk, exchanging information about how you are doing and where you are going. Maybe you add humor to the conversation. Maybe you make plans to eat together. You then say goodbye and part ways. 

What would have happened if you chose to go right instead of left? It’s likely that you would not have crossed paths with your friend. It’s likely that you would not have made plans like you had. And it’s likely that further plans would not have been made, or future discussions had on related topics. It’s unlikely that you could’ve reached a certain depth with said friend, only available at that moment in time.

Consider an alternative. You are walking happily along your way when you cross paths with someone who you’ve had a previous altercation, or an unpleasant interaction with. Upon seeing them, your heartbeats quickens, your blood pressure rises, and your palms start sweating. You exchange a few words out of politeness, but the whole time you are crawling out of your skin. You say goodbye and part ways and instantly you feel your pulse start to return to normal.

Now, take a final example. You are walking happily along your way when a pair of eyes capture your attention. They are a stranger’s, but you cannot help but stop and strike up a conversation, something within you compels you to do so. You two end up talking for quite some time. You exchange info and set up a time to meet again. You’re late to wherever you were going, but you couldn’t care less because this person you met coincidentally seems important. You end up spending the rest of your lives traveling, aging, learning together. But it doesn't have to be that dramatic, it could just be meaningful to you.

These examples illustrate the causes and consequences of living in an environment with other people, some familiar, some unfortunately familiar, and some life altering. What’s profound is that what I have described is not far fetched, on the contrary it is quite possible. And these kinds of possibilities exist in every day and every moment.

What are we to make of this sheer, vast, beautiful, frightening, joyous fact? One interpretation, the one that comes to mind first, is an emphasis on the importance of openness. When I choose to remain open to the possibility of seeing a friend, an enemy, or a future lover, I allow it to happen. If I choose to adopt the view that each of us "creates" our own reality, then knowing this should empower me to make choices and influence people around me. Going out into the world entails much uncertainty. But despite it, staying open to the possibility of making wonderful discoveries and meaningful connections, however unexpectedly, is the meaning of serendipity. Choose it.