Serendipity

2005-01-13
11:59 pm

ser�en�dip�i�ty (srn-dp-t) n.
1. The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
2. The fact or occurrence of such discoveries.
3. An instance of making such a discovery.

Coined by the English author Horace Walpole in a letter of January 28, 1754, Walpole says that �this discovery, indeed, is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word.� Walpole formed the word on an old name for Sri Lanka, Serendip. He explained that this name was part of the title of �a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of....�

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My darling diary,

It's midnight and I should have been asleep hours ago - but my dearest Ben called at 10 and we just hung up. He didn't know I was out of town. He didn't get the email I sent. He didn't know I had so hoped he might call. He just "felt like talking to you tonight". Serendipity!

It was him that called this morning so early. He fell asleep on the couch and upon arising at 5:00 to stumble into the bedroom, picked up the phone and dialed. He said "I knew you would know it was me, thinking of you."

Two hours of talking about, well, just stuff. Nothing of consequence, nothing of substance. He had gone to a karaoke bar to have a bite to eat. Stayed till closing and actually got the courage to sing a little. He has a spectacular voice he has never done anything with - always a little shy and this is a big step.

Spoke to him about my friend Dave, who had been caught in the tsunami in Phuket. How I have come to regret that I didn't spend more time with him while he was closer. How I feel that way often about friends who have, somehow, become no more than annual Christmas letters.

Which turned to the fact that I have two such friends AND a first cousin in Denver I haven't seen in too many years. How I'd been thinking to go there and visit them all at once. "I have an aunt there too" he says. "Please don't go without letting me know - I'd like to go with you.".

So my dearest diary - you who hold so many of my secret desires and dearest dreams - another one of those questions that invalidates every "can't make a committment, may not be able to have the kind of relationship you're hoping for" statements.

I've always thought of life as a book. Wouldn't it be grand if we woke each morning to find a piece of paper on our pillow. On that paper would be a list of daily tasks, the right answers to all the questions we will ask during the day and the outline for today's chapter.

And, perhaps, for a lucky few - we'd find an early edition copy of the entire last chapter of the book. Just so we'd know we're taking the right steps to get there.

Anna

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