I must share something that happened to me a few weeks ago, a totally random event with no apparent reason or purpose. It’s a short story about how we choose to approach and deal with the unexpected. This is the story of the rock-paper-scissors guys.

It was in the middle of June and my family would come visit me and Johanna  to celebrate midsummer with us. It’s a traditional celebration in Sweden and generally a fantastic excuse to drink ridiculous amounts of alcohol and act like there is no tomorrow. These days however I prefer a much more relaxed approach with a focus on great food and the company of loved ones. Anyways. The unexpected part.

The unexpected…

Can you see it? (by flickr/aWee)

My sister and I had agreed that we should meet at the central station as her arrival would coincide with my last day of work before the short holiday. While we waited on the platform for the train to arrive I could see in the corner of my eyes these two guys and it felt as if they were walking towards us. They did. We got mugged… no, just kidding, not at all. Without introduction or anything even remotely related to a cultural establishment of identity one of the guys ask me: Care for a game of rock-paper-scissors?

My immediate and instantaneous reaction was to raise my hand, begin the countdown. We complete three games, with a 1-2 score, I lost. His friend cheered and they left. My sister stood there in disbelief and asked, did you know these guys? No, I didn’t. I really didn’t. It became the story of the week, and I couldn’t resist sharing it.

… what the … ?

It has taken until now for me to realize what happened that day and what it really is saying about my personality. There never was the slightest of hesitation in my mind. I’ve learnt both good and bad things from this encounter. The good is that I’m generally quite accepting to unexpected events and can embrace it. The bad is that I might be a bit too trusting to the flow of life.

Okay, maybe I’m being silly in reading so much from this little story. But it feels quite tell-tell about who I am. Embracing the unexpected and seeing it as an opportunity to grow and learn surely can’t be a bad thing, right?

How do you react to the unexpected?