By Lulit Amdemariam

CURVEBALLS

Life has a way of throwing curve balls at you when you least expect it. Some attribute this to there being a series of accidents that lead you down paths that you never thought existed. Although I believe there is nothing in your own life that is out of your own hands, I suppose there may be a grain of truth in this argument.

Sometimes, life has a way of taking you down a path that you would never have gone on your own. It could be good or bad, depending on the situation, but one thing is for sure, it certainly is exciting.

Think about it. If things went perfectly all the time, there would be no challenge, and there is no way that could bring out the best in a person. People are made redundant when they go down a path that has a known outcome, whereas accidents sometimes have a way of being fun.

Since I moved back home, I have had a series of mishaps occur that have actually ended up being great for my life. There are, of course, some that did not end up being so good: but no use crying over spilt milk, right? Anyhow, the biggest and the best of these series of unfortunate events was, or rather is, my best friend.

I had known her all my life as our parents were close, but she is a bit younger than I am, and as you may have guessed from what I have written in this column over the last year or so, I am not a big fan of women. Yet, being the socially correct person that she is, she took me out for a cup of coffee the day after my return and, lo and behold, we have been inseparable ever since.

The last thing I expected when I packed my bags and came home was to make a friend, especially one that would hold such an important place in my life. A very unexpected curveball that turned out not to be so bad after all.

This column is also one of life’s little accidents. Although I was aware that I wanted to write, because it is something that I am very passionate about, I had always thought that when I did begin to write professionally it would be a book of my own. This is far from what I had expected to be doing, but it is extremely gratifying nonetheless. Not once in my life had I thought about entering the world of news or newspapers, and here I am, loving it and wondering what had taken me so long to find this path in the first place.

Like I was saying: curveballs.

That seems to be the story of my choice of careers really. I used to be a teacher, but that was something, just like writing this column, I had never thought I would do. It ended up being a happy accident that taught me patience and how to judge people better. It taught me that there are people out there who will not be deterred from what they want to achieve simply because they are older or have other commitments in their lives.

In an indirect sort of way it has added to my own determination. If I were to be really honest with myself then I would have to say that things really do happen for a reason. Then, again, that takes away from my argument that things are in our own hands and are a result of what we do and the choices that we personally make. Consider this as my most recent dilemma.

But you want to know the most common accident that I see all around me: relationships. People find the person that they want to be with purely by happenstance. No one, I mean no one, can tell me that their heart or their emotions followed the path that they guided themselves down. I see the most unlikely of people enamoured with others that they would not even spend a second with under different circumstances. It is really amazing.

From personal experience I can tell you that I always fall for the wrong guy . . . I suppose you could say that either I am attracted to the idiots or they are attracted to me. If that is not the biggest calamity, I do not know what is.

But, one thing that I can say, even though these relationships may or may not fail, one thing is for sure, they make you aware of exactly what it is that you want or do not want. They make you aware of who you are by making you conscious of your desires. Somehow, there is a silver lining even to this cloud.

So mishaps, misfortunes, accidents, curveballs, whatever you want to call them, have certainly found a way to keep me entertained and on my toes. They have helped me grow up, cultivate my mind, and most importantly, made me the person that I am today. That I love.