Over the past week I have had a number of conversations in which the word ‘opportunity’ has come up. It’s like a theme was emerging. A more memorable mention of the word came whilst sitting on the bench out the front of 163. ‘Linda’ was having a quiet smoke. I’d never seen her before. I think she was just waiting for a tram. We sat in silence for quite a while and let the autumn sun warm our faces. I checked my phone while she drew on her cigarette. Then she broke the silence by saying, “If you hear a knock on your door how can you tell if its opportunity knocking or not”?
“Hmm,” I said, “Not sure I know the answer to that one, but I suppose opening it first might provide a clue”.
“There’s a risk in that”, she replied.
“There’s always a risk with everything we do” says I.
“More risky if you’re a woman”, says Linda.
“Sadly, that’s very true”, I said.
Silence returned for a while. I checked my phone she puffed smoke.
Linda then began to talk about times in her life when an opportunity presented itself and she didn’t take it up for all sorts of reasons; some sensible some irrational. Then she spoke about times when she had seized the opportunity and it had all gone pear-shaped.
We ended by agreeing that opportunity doesn’t always knock, and that you have to go through life looking for it. Sometimes it stares you in the face and sometimes it doesn’t. And then sometimes you just have to create your own opportunities.
I don’t know what it is about that bench out the front, but I sure have some fascinating chats on it. People are amazing aren’t they.
Peace
David
