Serendipity, a word first coined by Horace Walpole, is a lucky break, sometimes leading to new opportunities, or in my case, reawakened memories of the past.
Right now, according to several academic and medical metrics, I am in the throes of negotiating no less than half of life’s ten most stressful situations all at the same time. Without going into the specifics, I can certainly say that in the here and now I could certainly do with a break.
Whilst engaged with one of these key stressors, moving home, I wondered, would I by any chance unearth a lost example of my early writing style? In 1986 I wrote a funny review of a trip to Nottingham to watch Notts County with a couple of police colleagues. In a nutshell, on our arrival in my city of birth the game was postponed, my car broke down, and we were rescued by an AA low-loader that ferried us back just in time for our 6am early turn shift in Bracknell, Berkshire. Running through this tale of woe was a saga of mishaps that would have caused our ‘professional standards’ people a headache in these days of social media.
Serendipity reveals a glimpse of a past life
As I cleared a litany of loft luggage, with some items left undisturbed for over 20 years, I struggled with a box as I clung to the step ladder. The slight inclination of my body disrupted the status quo and a single item fell from the aged cardboard container: my lost story, neatly folded. My excitement at re-reading this classic piece of literature obliterated any feeling of karma. Then, a few hours later, a single Polaroid slipped from a stash of loose photographs.
To place this sudden appearance in context, I must already have discovered over 500 photos of my past life in my explorations, the majority free from the security of an album. The Polaroid was a picture of my first love Julie from many years ago, who had sadly passed away just a matter of months before I unexpectedly reconnected with her younger brother. The experience of loss was exacerbated by the knowledge that I had narrowly missed the chance to see her one more time. Her smiling face stopped me in my tracks. I didn’t even know that I’d kept a picture of her, especially so proximate to the mountains of family photographs and those of my late wife, Theresa.
No such thing as chance?
I was convinced that this happening was nothing short of divine intervention, even though I am a non-believer. Nonetheless, for a precious few moments the current emotional pulls in my life fell away and I felt happy. But what the hell was going on? Was this pure chance fuelled by my strong desire to lift my current malaise, or were other forces at play?
There is ample evidence, particularly within the world of science, which suggests that serendipity is more than just random luck. While chance plays a role, fate often involves an unexpected yet meaningful discovery or outcome. When the planets align, it can often lead to something positive or insightful, even if you weren’t specifically looking for it.
Henri Becquerel accidentally discovered radioactivity in 1896 when he left uranium-enriched crystals in a drawer. He later found that they emitted radiation even without exposure to sunlight. In 1928, Alexander Fleming left a Petri dish of bacteria uncovered and returned to find that a mould had killed the bacteria around it. This led to the discovery of penicillin, the first widely used antibiotic.
Thirty-nine years later, Jocelyn Bell Burnell noticed an unusual radio signal while analysing telescope data. It turned out to be the first observed pulsar, a type of neutron star that emits regular pulses of radiation.
Scientists studying bacteria noticed an unexpected effect when applying electric currents to cells. This led to the discovery of cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug still used today.
Our brains look for meaning
The notion that serendipity often manifests in ways that feel like the universe is nudging us is not necessarily wishful thinking. Psychological theories suggest that our brains are constantly seeking meaning, connecting dots that might otherwise seem random.
Neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp proposed the SEEKING System Theory, describing the brain’s reward pathways that drive curiosity and exploration, reinforcing our tendency to seek meaning in experiences. In tandem, Viktor Frankl’s Meaning-Seeking Model highlights the human drive to find meaning in life, even in difficult circumstances. His work suggests that meaning-seeking is a fundamental psychological motivation.
Whatever the true line of enquiry, on this beautiful occasion my subconscious knew what my conscious self needed, and the world conspired to deliver it. I will take this moment of serendipity, hold it close, and believe that there exists a twilight world where logic fails.
