Coincidences
Apr. 3rd, 2005 02:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shewhomustI believe in coincidence: that is, I believe that it happens, and I believe that it is coincidence - a meaningless, random coming-together of elements.
Thursday evening illustrates this:
Each of these is in itself a coincidence, and it's also coincidence that two such incidents should occur around the same event. But neither of them is in itself very startling.
I've heard humanity described as a species that tells stories; I think that's only part of it, and that we are a species which looks for patterns. And because the world is huge and various, we find them. We discard all the white noise of daily existence, the occasions on which you were just thinking about somebody and they don't turn up, when we hear a familiar name once and then nothing happens. And having sifted out all of our experience that doesn't make patterns, we behave as if it means something when we are left with things that do.
Thursday evening illustrates this:
- On our way to Hexham we had been talking about our next piece of work, an update of the Flambard Press website for Peter and Margaret Lewis; so it's not surprising that when I started to think about which of our acquaintance lived in the area and might turn up for the show, they should come to mind. I was a little surprised, though, when they came and sat down next to us.
- One of the voices in the play is that of a young woman who speaks with enthusiasm of Newcastle's new Quayside, a lesbian and a primary school teacher; she mentions, in the context of her teacher training, the name of Rudolf Steiner. Once upon a time, this was a name I heard often, as I had a step-father who was very involved with the anthroposophical movement, so I notice it when I hear it, although that is not so frequently now. But the following morning I saw it again, on a royalty cheque for my translation of a medieval Grail text, published by the Rudolf Steiner Press.
Each of these is in itself a coincidence, and it's also coincidence that two such incidents should occur around the same event. But neither of them is in itself very startling.
I've heard humanity described as a species that tells stories; I think that's only part of it, and that we are a species which looks for patterns. And because the world is huge and various, we find them. We discard all the white noise of daily existence, the occasions on which you were just thinking about somebody and they don't turn up, when we hear a familiar name once and then nothing happens. And having sifted out all of our experience that doesn't make patterns, we behave as if it means something when we are left with things that do.
