Michael Collins – Serendipity

Once I found out what Serendipity actually meant, I realized that I had never experienced that moment: that serendipitous moment.

Many of the people I know have had such an experience, at least they say that they have. Call me a sceptic, but… I have my doubts. So many folk hare notorious Pinocchios…are they not? Anyway, who am I to doubt? Perhaps they have telling the truth.

Come to think of it, I may have had such a moment, way back when I was four. I recall sitting in the corner with my toy cars… All by myself. I distinctly remember thinking, I am feeling one with the universe. I know… pretty sophisticated thinking for a four-year-old. And I probably did not structure the thought in that exact way. Still… Pretty sure that was ‘the moment’. The moment when the universe coalesced into a state of perfect awareness, and clarity descended. I am also pretty certain I smiled knowingly that day, too.

Of course, since then I have, once or twice considered that I have experienced similar serendipitous moments. But rarely.

I mean: I am sure many theories have been advanced which postulate that such  four-year-old awareness is, in fact, the epitome of, well… something great and wonderful… to say the very least.

I am not all that certain that my experience defines the word ‘serendipity’ at all, really. It might. It if does I feel vindicated.

My other serendipitous moment… At least the one that instantly springs to mind occurred when I was 35 and beholding a forest of ghost-gums; an oversized full moon, two majestic hills; and a weekend of solitude on a 100 acres.

So if serendipity can be described as: the universe coming together to create the perfect moment then these two cases, represent ‘serendipity’. A long time between drinks... I concede.

At 72, I await the next ‘perfect moment’. The next occasion of ‘serendipity.’