Monday, November 8, 2010

Serendipity

is one of my favorite words. It is viewing the world and instigating your search with your eyes wide open. Not to be confused with being easily distracted or settling for less, it is the discovery of something you were not looking for. Life should not be a preordained straight line from birth to death. We are able to visit the side road amusements, to travel trails uncharted,
expanding our horizons in this quest for whatever it might be but we so seldom do it!
I think we get tricked into the things we do. I don't know why anyone would ever want to go on a cruize ship? These are not "Love Boats" nor the passenger ships of the last century with their open decks and just cables between you and the ocean. These are floating cities with glass between you and the water, packed in like sardines, just you and six thousand others! and with television sets in the cabins! "Tours" are the same, guided and safe and predictable, offering us a taste of we don't even know what and allowing us to chat amongst ourselves, viewing the world from the inside out. We have lost our sense of adventure and see life in thirty minute episodes complete with commercials! Serendipity requires the ability to jump ship.

4 comments:

Maundering mutterer said...

Adventure can be uncomfortable at times, but its so worth trying. One only really learns outside of the comfort zone. My favorite holidays have all involved getting lost a lot! :)

Ruby said...

You are so right! Couch potatoes...haven't joined the group yet though although my adventures are somewhat limited by mobility and money!
I did a cruise ship ... twice I must say. Hand never been but was invited to join son and family and daughter.
It did give me a chance to explore adventures I may never have seen....snorkling for the first time ... and the catamaran honking its horn ... I almost got left behind as I had ventured out very far along the reef!
Saw the Mayan pyramids and the lovely old city of San Juan. Beaches ... well we have those!
Being with my family made it all worthwhile; watching my grandson as he held a crocodile in his hands and his wonder at discovering real sugar cane!
Not the adventures of my past ... but hey, I'm old and becoming a "softie".

ps - I never ever in my wildest dreams envisioned me on a 'floating city' for ten days! But age does indeed do strange things.

Dionne said...

I really like what you have to say here. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all be more serendipitous but society makes many afraid to "jump ship" as you say and most will stay in their safe little bubble afraid to step out of the box due to fear of what others will think.

I agree the word and its meaning is very beautiful and one of my favorites too.

Barbra Joan said...

Staying in a safe little box is indeed what most do and thats fine for others, but not for me.
If it were not for 'serendipity' I would not be 'me'. We all need to jump ship once in a while.