adventitious - adjective - unplanned, accidental
Adventitious is a solid word, reminiscent of serendipitous, a term already featured in this column. Surely the best things in life could be adventitious, especially during these times of uncertainty. You must be resilient and spontaneous to avoid oncoming traffic of any kind. Even during "normal" times–I hesitate to use that adjective since normalcy is relative and "new normal" has become one of those trendy phrases of the extremely woke–it is hard to plan accordingly. In 1785, Scottish writer Robbie Burns immortalized it best in his Gaelic "To a Mouse...": "The best laid schemes o'mice an' men/gang aft a gley," which simply means what you have put on your agenda for the week, month, year, etc. may not come to pass as imagined. There is a good chance of everything falling apart at the seams. John Steinbeck borrowed a portion of Burns' poem and used it as a title "Of Mice and Men" for his classic tale of thwarted dreams. Surely you remember reading it in ninth grade just as I recall teaching it. Nothing goes as planned for fictive Lennie Small (who is quite large), George Milton and everyone else in the realm of nonfiction that dare to preconceive notions.
What is the best advice for the optimist? Stay in the moment. Be Zen. It works well.
Happy Friday to all and to all a wonderful weekend!
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