Bohol
There is a poster on my wall at work that I often think about. It divides the left brain - analytical, strategic, rational, logical - with the right brain - creative, passionate, expressive, in-the-moment - dividing the two sides between columns of black and white numbers and a random splattering of paint colours. I am squarely in the left brain camp, being of sound engineering and accounting stock.
So when it comes to instances of destiny and fate, I am supposed to believe in chance and circumstance. Lately though - when I look back - it's as though destiny, or fate, or some mysterious higher power, is playing a role far greater than I ever imagined.
I'll give you an example.
In 7th form I got 70% in the mid-year maths with statistics exam. Near the end of the year I experienced a rather traumatic time and missed a lot of school. I nevertheless chose to sit the exam. I performed poorly on the exam; I knew I had. Come results time, I had received four results, okay, but a little ropey. Whether or not I got an A bursary would depend on the results of my stats exam.
The next day I got a letter in the mail saying they had lost my exam paper and would use my mid-year exam results as my mark, thus handing me an A Bursary. I was too lost in the elation of my achievement to think anything of if. It wasn't until later when a friend told me that 'someone is looking out for you' did I think anything of it.
Well, maybe they are.
How many times do we have instances of chance that somehow fit exactly into how we're feeling, or what we're doing, or what we're planning to do? How many times do seemingly random and unexpected chances link up to trigger a lifetime of events?
If you're a left-brain individual like myself, you probably cast a skeptical eye over the matter of chance. Everything has a rationale explanation, and the elements of chance are just that: chance. For the right brain types, these things were meant to happen.
I'll never know the answer to this one. Let's just say my logical side wins, but I can be convinced otherwise.
***
There were no tickets to Bohol in the economy section of the boat. We would have to take business class. Waiting in the somewhat damp, but exclusive business class lounge were a handful of people, including one Guillermo Munro Colosio (Memuco) or Big G, as we came to call him.
Big G was a big Mexican with a big heart. He was passionate, talented, a graphic design artist, and knew how to live life to the full. With him we did a whirlwind tour of Bohol, including the Chocolate Hills, - a collection of 1000's of identically sized 'teardrop' mountains at the centre of the island - the Tarsiers (small gremlin like creatures with very large eyes) and centuries old churches. We closed the day sitting on the edge of the water, eating charcoaled meat and drinking cold beer, watching the sun go down.
Towards the end of the day, a typhoon had cancelled the two boats scheduled before us. We were the first ones allowed to sail. What a horrid ride it was. Squashed in the hot, smelly economy-class section, I gripped the side of the seat and read half of my book more intensely than I've ever read anything before, distracting myself from the rocking boat, crashing waves, and 3 metre swells.
Big G was going out with a few friends for dinner. In true Kiwi style, we tagged along. At dinner we enjoyed Cebu-famous Lechun - Pig (all of it, face included) - and a destination pub called 'Outpost' that featured a live band playing early 90s rock hits: home-run. We enjoyed it immensely, and met some great people.
At the end of the night - was it 2am - we were dropped back downtown to mix once again with the street hustlers, pimps, drug dealers, child beggars and prostitutes. Oh, what a city.
***
I don't know much about fate, or change, or whatever strange force is out there that gives rise to events - either now or in the future - but we owe it to Big G and his friends that we got to see the better side of Cebu, and have a really great night.
And who knows, maybe the meeting in the business class lounge of a ferry terminal was only the first chapter. Maybe one day that chance meeting will lead to something great, something inspirational, something the makes a difference, even if only a small one. So Big G, we can do this thing we talked about. Maybe not now, maybe not even soon, but someday, we'll do something, and we'll make a difference.
We owe a chance meeting that much.
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