Coincidence - "a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection." Oxford Languages
I have experienced a couple of minor coincidences today, which I was just going to note in a postscript, and perhaps I possibly should have. However, I then thought that there might be enough to write about there, so I'm going to try - a few musings on the meaning of coincidence along with a few more factual things about my coincidences.
Yesterday I wrote about a website called Good Food on Bad Plates, wherein I talked a little bit about the current fashion of mismatching plates. Today I opened up the latest Guardian Feast newsletter to this picture and Yotam Ottolenghi saying:
"Sometimes, when friends come over for dinner, I start planning by picking out the serving plates. Strange as that may sound, this visual cue often sets the rest in motion … I don’t expect everyone to kick off their meal prep by picking out the tableware, but for me it can be the first spark of creativity."
It was the picture really - it would have been a good opening picture for yesterday's posts because there is obviously a heap of very good food there, and lots of plates, that are not amazingly special or matched. It is indeed just a slight coincidence, but worthy enough of at least a comment I thought. However, I should probably follow Agatha Christie's advice here:
"Any coincidence is worth noticing. You can throw it away later if it is only a coincidence."
I'm guessing she is talking about whether a coincidence in one of her novels - or any other crime novel - is an actual clue or just a coincidence. Although of course the words can apply to anything else as well.
But really it's an occasion where that phrase 'just a coincidence' comes in to play - and therefore able to be ignored - is the implication. The coincidence has no meaning. And I guess that's the thing about coincidences really isn't it? Do you do anything about it, or do you just carry on? Do they indeed have meaning? After all Douglas Coupland says: "Every single moment is a coincidence." and Terry Pratchett, in one of his books, about the young witch Tiffany says:
‘There have been a lot of those coincidences lately,’ said Tiffany. ‘Aye,’ said Rob, grinning, ‘it must be another coincidence.’"
But what do either of those quotes really mean? I confess I don't really know other than that there are indeed a lot of coincidences in life - again Terry Pratchett
“Scientists have calculated that the chances of something so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.”―Terry Pratchett/Mort
Do we encounter a coincidence every day of our lives? Probably although they may not be noticed. Is the very fact that we are here a coincidence? Well yes it is and I don't think you have to be religious to agree on that. For coincidence is sort of chance really isn't it? There's the coincidence of two particular people from all the billions of people on the planet having sex, whether wanted or not, plus the coincidence or chance of a particular sperm winning the race as it were, even taking into consideration that some sperm are stronger than others. Factor in also all of the things that could go wrong during the pregnancy, many of them accidents of chance that rely on the coincidence of, for example, the mother-to-be being in the wrong place at the wrong time and having an accident of some kind which spells disaster to the growing foetus.
I see i have brought in chance which is perhaps a little bit different - chance implies complete randomness I think, whereas coincidence implies some kind of predestination or fate? Or are they indeed both completely random? Which is where you get into the big questions of religion, and meaning and I'm not going there.
To go back to the completely trivial and those plates, because there is another minor coincidence happening here. That Guardian Feast newsletter's introduction was all about planning parties - and coincidence - my daughter-in-law is throwing a party for all the people who helped here in her local election bid. (Alas she came in second - but a good effort for a first try). And herewith two associated coincidences.
The first is a recipe -Watermelon and whipped feta bites which turned up in the latest Coles Magazine. I sent her the link because I thought it looked great and, moreover, simple. I suppose this is a very explicable coincidence. It is the season for many different kinds of break-up parties, and Coles would obviously take advantage of this. As would The Guardian. It might be a different season over there, but it's Christmas and end of year time - so parties.
The second is back to plates in a way - an offer from myself to lend her some platters, and to deliver them today as we are - coincidentally - passing her door today.
Last actual coincidence today and another one associated with this blog - The Guardian Feast newsletter linked to an article about hospital food around the world. This is a picture of the representative Australian one, which looks a whole lot better than what my grandson and daughter-in-law were offered, but nevertheless the author of this section commented on:
"the generally poor reputation of hospital food in Australia. Many states contract out their food preparation services to private companies to produce meals in bulk and deliver them frozen to hospitals. Many hospital kitchens no longer have the ability or the equipment to cook food, only to reheat it."
This for me, like Ottolenghi's plates were real coincidences, two completely different people/organisations thinking about the same thing at the same time and writing about it. But now that I have written that, I see that the laws of probability probably would say that it's not so unlikely as you might think.
Which brings me to two final quotes:
"I'm aware of the mystery around us, so I write about coincidences, premonitions, emotions, dreams, the power of nature, magic." Isabel Allende
A romantic view of coincidence I guess, a bit mystical too, which in other people's worlds would take you into predestination and religion. And I really won't go there. However, I am indeed aware of 'the mystery around us' (and within us come to that) and reflect upon it frequently, particularly when one of those little coincidences occurs. So perhaps a coincidence is just a way of making us think a little more deeply about our lives. Whether that is a good thing or not is a whole other matter.
And:
"Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will." Jawaharlal Nehru
Which is so true, but probably actually leads you back to the coincidental meeting of a sperm and an egg.
BACK THEN
November 15
2020 - Messing with simplicity
2019 - Nothing
2018 - What is it with bowls?
2017 - The vanilla slice
2016 - Vegeta - what's that?
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