Have you ever wondered what loosing a day would do?
I have.
Let's take my relationship with Halil probably the epitome of coincidences in my life. Here are the many actions, some even years before meeting, that lead to us being together.
So, lets begin with young college Jo, she was going round her business lost in a world of indecision (not much change there) not knowing what to do with herself. To make matters worse decisions had to be made that would alter her whole educational future not to mention her personal one. She had to decide what, if anything, she was going to study at University. I still recall the panic and confusion, the 'I am not good at anything-ness (which is lives in me like a parasite). But no choice simply wasn't an option. At the time I had come across the most beautiful University and thought this place would be wonderful (simply on appearances). So, I applied to study Psychology there and in a few less attract Universities just in case.
After the torture of exams and waiting for results things didn't go as well as anticipated and it seemed that re-sitting the exams was the only option. After a quick call begging to be allowed into the college and promising 26 hrs a day studying, I was told Psychology was simply out of the question but due to my language 'skills' (not really a skill when you learn one from birth and the other at 5yrs of age, but I was in no position to argue) I was offered a linguistics degree. So, would it be Spanish and English, Spanish and Politics and many other combinations of things that simply sounded miserable or Italian and Spanish. A whole new string to my language bow. Italian always seemed romantic and sexy and well who wouldn't like to sound like them? Language of Amore, si per favore. :) Just like that my 4 year journey was set in motion. I quickly realised the language of Amore had a disliking for me, my mix-ups with Spanish infuriated my teacher more than my classmates butchering the beauty of the language with their English accents. But none the less I soldiered on through 2 years and then the delight of 1 year abroad was on the horizon. . I decided that because my Italian was in desperate need of help I would spend the whole year in Italy rather than going to Spain too. My Uni had links with at least 8 cities in Italy but Florence lured me like no other city could. Finally what every language student looks forward to other than graduating, one year in a new country with friends and all the wonders of being alone, your own boss in the big expanse of the unknown. One explorer out to see the world with just a few belongings and a hefty student loan
Ok, perhaps I have gone to far, in reality for me at least, it was 3 days of depression not knowing how to get by, not knowing a soul and missing my mama. Il Doumo shared many tears with me, whilst the River Arno swept them away all under the watchful eye of Piaza Michelangelo I made it through the sadness and got back on my feet. I made friends and found a place to live and with this life became a roller coaster of fun. I would go to classes and have lunch at the canteen with my house mate and wonder the cobbled roads enjoying every coffee shop Florence had to offer and in the evening we would frequent tiny live music bars with student discounts offering the strongest cocktails they could get away with. In a blink of an eye the first half came to an end.
On one of mums trips to visit me (and regain control of her wayward daughter) we came across a girl who was ecstatic to hear our Colombian accent and gave me her contact details if ever I should want to meet up. This was put away without a second thought and the fun continued with mama and our shopping. Anyone who has the pleasure of knowing my mum would know when the mood is just right she is incredibly fun.
On the second half of my stay in Florence I was back to square one and needing a place to live, then my encounter with the rather sweet Colombian girl came to mind. We had a chat, met up and though she didn't have space for me in her place she took me to her school and introduced my to some Indian boys that were in need of a housemate. Little did she know that in actual fact they needed a boy to share a room with another boy. I offered them to pay more and have the whole room to myself and after some deliberation my offer was too good to ignore and off I went to see my room. I had two Indian house mates, one Hungarian and one other girl who's origins I forget. They were all fun in small doses and lucky we all had our own lives to lead.
One day I was told that they had a party to go to and one of the Indian boys who had taken a liking to me (completely unbeknown to me) told me to come along, my Colombian friend would be there too plus many others I now knew. So I decided to get myself ready and leave my hair to it's natural curly craziness for the first time. I remember like it was yesterday running from my room to the kitchen to show my hair in all it's glory when there sat on our table was a boy I had never seen before. He had a union jack waist coat on and ridiculous hair but to me he was instantly mesmerizing. He had a lovely smile and gorgeous dark features, I could not for the life of me take my eyes off him. I could never say it was love at first site but it was something like falling of a cliff there was no where else to go. Like they say in the movies 'he had me at hello'.
Already at this point it is clear that had I not decided to go to that University, begged for chance to study something there, decided to do Italian, decided to go to Florence all year instead of half in Spain (or any other Italian city), wondered the streets with mama, kept the girls number, got that room and socialised with that group, decided to go to that house party. I would never have been in that kitchen at the exact time that my husband had innocently visited his old room mates. Who could have imagined that because he moved out I got a room and that I had slept in his bed way before knowing him. Oh the wonders of coincidences,what an intricate web they weave. So believe me Rumpelstiltskin wouldn't wouldn't even get a millisecond from me.
Ever wondered how coincidences altered your life?
