Skip to main content

Happy Accidents

In this episode – Happy Accidents; The Power of Serendipity . . .

Welcome back to On the Fly! This week, we're exploring the delightful world of serendipity—those happy accidents that can lead to amazing discoveries and experiences.

Have you ever had one of those moments where you stumbled upon something incredible, completely by chance? Maybe you found a hidden gem of a restaurant while getting lost or ran into an old friend you haven't seen in years. That, my friends, is the magic of serendipity.

The term "serendipity" was coined by an 18th-century author, Horace Walpole. He derived it from a fairy tale about three princes who consistently made fortunate discoveries during their travels in a land called Serendip, an old name for Sri Lanka. Up until 1972, Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon.

Serendipity is the act of finding good things by chance. However, it's not just luck; it's also about being open to new experiences and possibilities. In today's fast-paced world, it's important to take the time to stop and think about the problem at hand, discuss it with others, and let it percolate overnight. Open your mind to possibilities that may not seem possible at this moment.

For example, think about some of the greatest scientific discoveries. Penicillin, the first antibiotic, was discovered by Alexander Fleming when he noticed mold growing on an old petri dish he forgot about. Wow! But that happy accident revolutionized medicine.

And when was the last time you used your microwave? Microwaves weren't actually "discovered" by a single scientist in the way that, say, Fleming discovered penicillin.

Microwaves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and James Clerk Maxwell predicted their properties theoretically in the 1860s. However, the application of microwaves for heating food is credited to American physicist and inventor Percy Spencer. While working on radar technology during World War II, Spencer noticed a candy bar in his pocket melted when standing near a magnetron that generates microwaves. This led him to investigate the use of microwaves for cooking, eventually leading to the invention of the microwave oven. Talk about a sweet discovery.

Serendipity isn't limited to big breakthroughs. It happens in our everyday lives, too. Imagine running into a long-lost friend at a coffee shop or finding the perfect birthday present while browsing for something else. It can even spark creativity! An artist might find inspiration from a random splash of paint, or a musician might stumble upon a new melody while experimenting.

In 1982, I attended a seminar at the Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois, where I had a life-changing experience that inspired me. You can read about it by clicking the link in the blog post. At that time, I had never heard of the word “serendipity.”

Be careful—our virtuous perspectives from personal experiences can often cause us to overlook or dismiss multiple opportunities as they pass, like a stranger in the night.

The key takeaway? Relax! Be open to the unexpected! Sometimes, the most amazing things happen when we least expect them. So, put down your phone, take a different route on your walk, and start a conversation with a stranger – you never know what delightful surprises might be waiting around the corner.

Let's embrace the power of serendipity and see where it takes us.

We'd love to hear your stories of serendipity! Share them in the comments or tweet us @PBall001.

I'm Patrick Ball. Thanks for listening. I'll see you in the next episode.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

The Compass of Cuba: Mom

🎄  Preview of this week's  On the Fly  blog: A Holiday Tribute to Mom. As the holidays hustle with pixels and beeps, the world scrolls along in a smartphone-y sleep. I log off for a moment—just one little minute— To breathe in the past and to sit myself in it. My mind doesn’t wander to faraway places, Or trips full of tickets and new airport faces. Instead, it drifts backward, as memories do, to Cuba, Illinois, where the best moments grew. To a home full of warmth, in the wintry Midwest, Where my mother—dear “Marcie”—put love to the test. With a smile that could melt the most frigid of dawns, and hugs that hung on you like shivering fawns. She came from La Rochelle in France, brave and bright, Across oceans and war shadows, into new light. A town full of strangers soon felt like her own, And her courage built up the foundation of home. “Oh yes, we know Marcie!” the locals would say— “It's Doc Ball’s French lady! She brightens the day!” She cleaned, and she cooked, and sh...
2 comments
Read more

Feeling Human Again

In this episode, The Unexpected Thankfulness of Feeling Human Again I’ll be honest with you: My triumphant return from France was not the glamorous homecoming I had imagined. No graceful glide back into routine. No cinematic jet-setter moment where I lift my suitcase off the carousel and wink at life like we’re old pals. Instead? I came home and immediately launched into a two-week performance piece titled The Great American Couch Collapse. My days blurred together in a haze of soup, hot tea, tissues, and desperate negotiations with the universe for just one nostril—one!—to function properly. The living room sofa became my emotional support furniture. And any creative idea that dared tiptoe into my congested brain was gently shown the exit with a firm but courteous, “Not today, friend. Try again later.” When life hits the pause button like that—when you’re exhausted, sick, and mentally unplugged—how do you find your spark again? Somehow, today, I felt it. A tiny shift. A clearing of th...
1 comment
Read more

Believing Is Seeing

🎄 In this episode, Believing Is Seeing . . . It's December, we bustle, we wrap, and we dash. We sort life into boxes— myths  here,  to-dos  in a stash. We whisper of Santa (adult code: “Not Real”), but hold on one minute—let’s rethink this whole deal. For the stories we cherish, the movies we stream, hold more truth in their sparkle than we grown-ups may deem. So hop in this sleigh and hold on real tight— We’re chasing down Santa by the glow of his light! Scott Calvin once landed in the North Pole’s cold air, with elves, cocoa, and snow everywhere. He squinted and frowned—“This just  cannot  be so!” (Like thinking tangled lights will detangle if we  blow .) Then Judy the Elf gave a cocoa so steaming,  and said something simple . . . yet surprisingly gleaming: Seeing’s not believing—no, that’s not the key. "Believing is seeing!"   Just trust, and  you’ll  see!” Kids don’t need a map or a satellite screen to know Santa’s workshop is her...
1 comment
Read more

Stamps and Snow

In this episode, Stamps and Snow . . .   You don’t usually walk into the local Post Office expecting a time warp . . . but here we are. All we wanted were stamps for this year's Christmas cards— yes, the old-fashioned paper ones that require licking, sticking, and hoping the Postal Service is feeling ambitious this week. But holiday errands have a talent for slowing you down, almost like the universe whispering, “Relax. You’re not getting out of this line any faster anyway.” So we waited. And while we waited, we talked (Are you surprised?). Because the Post Office is one of the few places where people still look up from their phones long enough to talk . . . Maybe it's because they're holding packages. It’s the modern town square: part civic duty, part free entertainment, part sociology experiment. The discussion began with holiday specials streaming on Netflix, Paramount+, and other services during this time of year. One gentleman who has lived in Vista since 1958 told us,...
3 comments
Read more