Serendipity – “The occurence and development of events by chance  in a happy or beneficial way”

The word was coined by Horace Walpole, and is based on the old word for Sri-Lanka Serip and a fairy tale about the three princesses of Serendip; who as they travelled, discovered things by accident which they had not asked for.

Now some people will see this as material things, personally I see this as things that happen to you in life, that make you sit back and think. These things are often not things we have asked for, in fact they are often things that we do not welcome into our lives; but if some of us really sat back and thought we may, at times,  be able to open our minds and see the benefits of things that we thought, at the time were bad things. For example:

My illness in 2014, really made me re-evaluate my life and what I really wanted from it.

Only recently, in the last two weeks, our boiler has gone, and has hot water pouring from it. But we got on with it, put a paddling pool underneath, and Rich empties it every two hours with a pump.

I look at this in many ways: We have work now so we can afford to have it replaced, it could have happened last winter when we had no money to have it replaced. Our plumbing work is dodgy, to say the least, so we are having some of the joints replaced, and we have met a brilliant plumber who has been really helpful. The whole plumbing system could have gone and this has spurred us on to get it done.

As I always say life is showing us the way.

In addition it has also made us realise that there are some people, one person in particular, who has helped us in so many ways, and we are lucky to have met them.

Another example is Boo’s story.  I was meant to meet Boo, so that when her owner was held up in the UK my friend Mary then met her, and fell in love with her. At the time they were held up I could not spend time with Mary when she was on holiday, and her owners suffered some difficulties. All these things seemed negative, but her owners suffered the problems at that time so that Mary could meet her and fall in love with her; then when the time came that they could sadly no longer keep her Mary wanted her and now she has a wonderful life with her new sisters (see my previous post.) All came good, good things happened from something that at the time seemed very negative,  none of us were looking for the outcome that is in place now. But it is a good outcome.

I have had this particular post half drafted for some time. But strangely something always put me off posting it, something else came up, life got in the way. Now with all the things that have happened in the past couple of months, not least the decision to leave the EU, I do believe that life is telling me to get this post out. I believe that it was serendipitous that I did not write this blog until now. Again let me explain:

I have a loved friend who I had sadly lost touch with, for over eighteen years, who sought me out on Facebook recently and got back in touch. They rang me the other week and we talked for over two hours, it was as if we had never been out of touch. As is always the case there were changes to our lives at the time, and hurt feelings when we lost touch, but serendipity intervened and being back in touch has  enabled me to see that, despite the years we lost touch, our friendship will be all the stronger for it; and we will be able to help each other as life changes in the future. It also made me realise that true friends never really leave you, they just need to take a break sometimes.

Another friend from school has also recently got back in touch, who is in the process of reviewing and revising their life; we have had a few cyber talks and my reflections on my life have helped them to reconsider theirs. I hope that I have been able to help, and will be able to do so in the future.

It just seems strange that at this time of great change these people have sought me out to get back in touch, after us all travelling on such different paths for so long.

Sadly it would not be a true reflection of events if I did not say that the vote to leave the EU, and some of the vitriol that I have seen, and at times experienced, on social media has made me re-think some of the friendships that I  had (yes past tense). Question whether I do really have anything in common with some people now, and whether it is time to let those people go. I have considered all things, and some that are close to me for many reasons will remain my friends (just best not to discuss politics) but some people seem to be blindly led and I am sorry to say sheeples. As I have said before I really am not a sheeple, (see previous blog). I have answered the vitriolic people (no surprises there you may say!) and, in one case to date, because I am not convinced there won’t be others, told them to fuck off!

I respect that other people have different views to mine, as long as they too respect that I have different views to theirs, some would say it is just debate but when people get personal that is not debate!

That’s all I have to say on the decision to leave, but again, has this all happened to make us all think? Were obstacles put in my way re writing this blog to ensure that comment was made on this as well? Perhaps.

I read a lot. I love reading something that someone has said with an open mind and then reflecting on it. Due to this I have a common place book (inspired by Bel Mooney); it’s a book where you write quotes, phrases, poetry, or any words that inspire you, (Serendipity being a word that inspires me for example.)

One of the things I have written in it is this:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones that you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Mark Twain.

Perhaps for me, and some others now, another quote is this:

” sometimes I think I’m going somewhere, but then I look around at whose there. It makes you wonder what’s important, is it really do or die to see if you can touch the sky?

Well we’re in the thick of it, better get a grip and get it on, get it on, yes we’re in the thick of it, better get a grip and get it on.”

“In the thick of it” by the great singer song writer Brenda Russell.

Since my teens this song has always inspired me, but the words are especially poignant and thought provoking now, and I know some people who read my blog will look around at what they are surrounded by and wonder if it is important to them.

The other song lyrics that sum me up?

“Is this a mirror of myself?

Am I somebody else?

I don’t wanna be

Everybody”

“Everybody” Martin Solveig

Catch up soon

Moisy