Wednesday's Word -- Serendipity

Have you ever wanted to come up with a word that makes it into the dictionary and even into people's conversations?  The English author, Horace Walpole, did just that when he coined the word "serendipity" back in 1754 in a letter to a friend.

I'm a word lover, but this word stands out as having a particularly interesting story.  Horace came up with the word based on an old Persian fairytale called the Three Princes of Serendip.  (A long time ago, the country now known as Sri Lanka was called Serendip.)  The story is about three young princes who have a talent for making discoveries while searching for other things.

The word "serendipity" tends to be used these days as almost synonymous with luck or chance.  One dictionary defines the word to mean "the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident."  But that's not how it was originally intended.  The princes were actually very observant and wise, almost like Sherlock Holmes-type detectives.  They had their eyes open to all possibilities as they traveled.  

Here's the very short version of the story.  Long ago, in the far away country of Serendippo, there was a king who had three sons.  The king asked each son to take his place as king, and each of the princes declined.  The king wasn't really upset about this, but he pretended to be, and sent them away from the land, thinking they had lived too sheltered a life, and an experience abroad would enrich their education.  While abroad, the princes had all sorts of adventures where they are able to use their sagacity (quality of being discerning, sound in judgment, and farsighted) in surprising ways.

For example, in the best-known of their adventures, they encounter a merchant who has lost a camel, and--although the princes never saw the camel--they are able to describe it perfectly, down to its very unusual characteristics.  Based on their observations of little details like the pattern of grass eaten from the side of the road, tracks, footprints and drips of food and urine, they (amazingly) deduce that the camel is lame, blind in one eye, missing a tooth, carrying a pregnant woman, and carrying honey on one side and butter on the other.    

Walpole coined the word "serendipity" to describe this special talent for discovering things you never set out or intended to discover -- not through luck really, but through keen observation.  If the princes had been in a rush to get somewhere or just didn't really have their eyes open to their surroundings, they wouldn't have made the discoveries they made.

When I started this blog, one of the contradictions I identified about myself is that I have a "desire for serendipity, despite my inability to stop measuring my life out in coffee spoons."  After chewing on the word "serendipity" while writing this post, it occurs to me for the first time (aha!) that serendipity and calculated, deliberate living are not mutually exclusive.  Serendipity does not mean traipsing through life, stumbling upon happy wonder after wonder.  Serendipity actually means traveling your path with your eyes open wide so that you don't gloss over the details right in front of your nose, and being willing to alter your path based on what life offers you.

I like that.  That kind of serendipity sounds doable -- even for me.

Look at that!  I discovered something fortunate and unexpected.  Now that's serendipitous.