Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Portals of Discovery


More often than not we live through our lives as a series of connecting dots interweaving it with defining and profound events intertwined within the conundrum of possibilities.

Sometimes we are on a collision course and we just do not know it, whether it is by accident or by design. Either eventuality presents the same degree of futility. There is not a thing we can do about it.

A new man on the job changed the frequency and amount of work being sent each time to a group of workers in the suburbs. The first few shipments were inefficient due to this change which resulted in lesser work actually shipped out.

A few days later, a woman in the suburbs was on her way for her morning grocery shopping. But she had forgotten her basket and went back to get it. When she had gotten the basket, the phone had rang. So she stopped to answer it and talked for a couple of minutes.

While the woman was on the phone, Naveen was preparing lunch at home for his wife at work.

While he was cooking, the woman was off the phone now and had gone outside to her waiting husband in the car. But while she was momentarily distracted in locking the gate which took a handful of seconds more than usual, her husband hurriedly decided to drive their other smaller car instead.

Now while her husband was getting the smaller car ready, the woman got into the car just in time. The husband, who had been waiting for a long while, decided it best to take the smaller car to save on petrol, anticipating a long day doing groceries with his wife since the woman had been pretty slow so far.

All the while, Naveen was cooking.

The couple drove and had to stop for a boy crossing the street who left for his football game 15 minutes later than he normally did because he forgot to set his alarm. While that boy, late for his game was crossing the street, Naveen had finished cooking and was getting ready to do some house chores until noon before sending the lunch to his wife.

And while Naveen was taking out the garbage, the house phone rang. He picked up the call and his wife informed that work would end before lunch; a lot earlier than it normally would that day because there was not enough of work to go around from the new change in shipments. Her supervisor had sent all his workers home early because they were on hourly wages.

Naveen was already on his bike to pick up his wife home.

The husband earlier was waiting outside a bakery for the woman to pick up a cake which had not been packaged yet because the girl who was supposed to do it had broken up with her boyfriend the night before, and forgot. When the cake was packaged, the woman was back in the car, which was blocked by a delivery truck.

All the while Naveen was driving.

Then the delivery truck pulled away and the couple in the car was able to move. While Naveen, the last to queue up behind some motorcycles at the traffic light, waited patiently for the bike in front to restart its engine when it suddenly died off during the wait for the green light.

Nearby was the couple approaching the traffic light as Naveen finally moved along.

And if only one thing had happened differently, if the bike's engine had not died off; or that delivery truck had moved moments earlier; or that cake had been packaged and ready because the girl had not broken up with her boyfriend; or the new man on the job had ensured the workers had enough work to go by; or the boy had set his alarm and got up 15 minutes earlier; or the husband had not decided to change cars; or that woman had remembered her basket and locked the gate faster; Naveen would have crossed the street and the couple would have driven by.

But life being what it is - a series of intercepting lives and incidents out of anyone's control. The couple did not go by and the husband was momentarily distracted as Naveen unknowingly followed the bike in front across the street when the lights just turned red. And that couple hit Naveen.

He died on the way to the hospital but his wife was informed that he was in a critical condition at the hospital. Close family members withheld the truth until she was safely there for fear of her emotions affecting her judgment.

Naveen left behind a faithful wife - Prema, and four loving, and bright daughters with the youngest being six and the oldest at sixteen.

About a month ago, I discovered that a man's errors are his portals of discovery.

17 comments:

1699 said...

Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action.

~Benjamin Disraeli~

This replicates what you're doing now... Very proud of you!

Amy said...

Is this some real event? It has that feel. juz some story sharing or you were related to it? Hope you are ok.

Ppl make mistakes and if we can sit up and learn from it, we should be proud of ourselves.

Han said...

1699:
That's a very nice quote, especially since it came from a renowned political figure. The only British PM who ever made it big in the social AND political scene, haha! Thanks for the sharing and for your kind understanding. It's just something I had to pen down.

Amy:
It was and it is. It's also a representation of what will be and what could have been if things were done right the first time. It serves as a reminder to me and a memory. I am ok now. Picking up the pieces where I left off, like continuing to blog :)

SGRMSE. said...

Hey! This was in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button except all the scenarios and names were changed. LOL.

joslip said...

the way i see it, it's no one's fault. it is God's will and like you said, there is not a thing we could do to change it.

Han said...

whoaamello:
Takes a sharp mind, or a movie buff to spot it ;) It's just something I had to write out that happened a while back and I thought the storytelling style used in that movie for the scene where Daisy met her accident was nicely told. Hence the striking similarity there.

joslip:
Appreciate your thoughts.

Amy said...

sounded eerily real to me. whatever the case it's good you learn to write it out, as a reminder for yourself and others like me to learn from. trust all is good now since you are writing again :)

now that your friend mentioned it, your post is familiar and similar to benjamin button. hahaha! gotta admit, it is an effective way of storytelling. keeps the reader or listener glued to the last minute.

Ree said...

this the story u told me a few weeks back? more details here. like what i told you then there is nothing we can do and it is god's will. everyone has a purpose and this naveen's purpose was meet. who knows it can be a kid instead gets knocked down that day instead of him. as long as we learn to accept the truth and peace with ourselves, which you are doing right here then all will be well in the end. everything happens for a reason. ok keep in touchh and hope to see you soon and catc up ya.

Han said...

Amy:
Yes, as a chilling reminder. Thanks :) When I was watching that scene from the movie, I was so fascinated at what would happen next and how all this would link in the end. I had no idea then what was gonna happen to Daisy. So yeah, totally agree with you.

Ree:
Yep, sort of. More details because I found them out later. Hmmm, never thought about this...that a kid may have been the one instead of him. I guess it could be anyone, really...or no one...or it could have led to something worse. So you are right, must come to terms with our own past mistakes and have no past life regression.

But I don't quite agree with you that everything in life happens for a reason. Yes, I believe in fate and destiny, but not in the whole sense. I believe that we are often thrown into a situation and that is destiny, but what happens from there is all in your hands. How you end the day, play out a grudge with a rival, treat the people around you, work on your priorities - I can't blame it on Fate and Destiny when a friendship turns sour, my job disappoints me, or causing the death of someone.

We often spend our entire lives telling ourselves that everything happens for a reason when in truth it is we who give reasons to everything that happens :)

SGRMSE. said...

Movie buff - thaaaat's, me! =D LOL. BTW, thanks for the comment you wrote me. Good piece of wisdom you imparted there [= Really appreciated it and you're welcomed to flood my comment box anytime!

Cheers!

Jnlim said...

I agree with ur fren, ree. When you can't change something, change the way you think about it then. =D

Han said...

whoaamello:
I like ppl who can appreciate movies, haha! I'm simply glad my humble opinion was well received by you, LOL! So formal, my response, haha! Anyway, please feel free to bombard me anytime too, ya? ;)

Ju Ann:
Thanks for the encouragement. Just like what ppl say, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. If you can't change 'em, be 'em. LOL!

yapthomas said...

I totally agree. Everything is so interconnected. It's like how we humans are connected to each other...

But I bet whatever happened, it will make you stronger in person.. ;)

Rabbit's Fewt said...

If I didn't know better, I would tell you that more often than not we only have ourselves to blame for the ineptness we commit into our daily lives. However, I believe that your situation is from the result of unforeseen circumstances and untimely misfortune.

Just proud that you are able to look beyond the trappings of helplessness and self-pity as a long time ago, I remembered a lesson learned that shared sorry is half-sorrow =)

I know my comment is rather late since this took place but you already knew what were my initial thoughts. Being able to see you put it down into words like that gives me some relief that you are growing well with yourself each day that passes by :)

Han said...

yapthomas:
Your statement is so true, dude. If only we could measure this connection or see it in material rather than immaterial, maybe the world would be a very different place today.

Rabbit's Fewt:
Unforeseen circumstances, no. Untimely misfortune, yes. I played a part and contributed in the incident, no matter how miniscule it was. I could've been the difference. Just like the Butterfly Effect where one small mistake I did could actually echo and propagate into a costly error of massive magnitude.

"Shared joy is double-joy, and shared sorrow is half-sorry"...yes, I still remember this, haha! Thanks for reminding me.

It's NEVER too late to receive an honest opinion from a trusted friend ;)

Kelly said...

i'm sorry about what happened. it must be quite an experience bcos you write it down here.

Han said...

Don't be, it was a learning curve, one I will remember.