Sunday, October 18, 2015

Serendipity; or the possibility of more than coincidence

"The contents of this [blog] are personal and do not reflect any position of the US government or the Peace Corps."

Have you ever experienced a coincidence? Some people would argue that there is no such thing as a coincidence or rather that all coincidences have meaning and nothing happens by chance.

The probability of a certain set of circumstances coming together in a meaningful (or tragic) way is so low that it simply cannot be considered mere coincidence.

In April of this past year, I experienced a coincidence, randomly happening about the site where my cousin Kevin's ashes were scattered in Ireland. There was no reason for me to have stopped alongside the road, nor to encourage others to follow me, but I did and they did. It certainly could have been mere coincidence. Unlikely with the hundreds of miles of possible turnoffs that we did not take but possible.

So likewise, it COULD be coincidence that when I arrived in Guyana last month and to the hospital, I found that the patients had nothing to read. Reading and staying abreast with what is happening in this world is paramount to being a socially appropriate and responsible individual. So I was provided with National Geographic magazines.

From the 1980's. Actually from late 70 to late 80's. As I reading through each one(because you don't want to provide patients with drug-induced psychosis articles on drugs), I came across one about the highest peak in Guyana: Mt Roraima. The article was pretty amazing and inspired me to want to climb this peak. As I closed the cover, the reality hit me. This edition of National Geographic was published May 1989. The month and year that Kevin was born. Again, could have been a coincidence, but I'm taking it as a sign that I should pursue this peak and see what exactly it has in store for me.