What a lovely word! It sounds like a serene dip in a lake in the warm sunshine, with a butterfly wafting in the air above. At a London Festival of Literature poll for the most popular English word of all time, serendipity came out number one.
Serendipity actually means a situation when you discover good things when you're not out looking for them. It was a neologism invented in the 18th century by the eccentric English writer Horace Walpole. He came up with it from a story about the island of 'Serendip', another name for the beautiful island of Sri Lanka.
Remember when after we had gone "Back to our usual morning walk", I had gone for an enjoyable romp through the English language and read Ursula Dubosarsky's "The Word Spy", which I had found at Vinnies? It was so enjoyable, I hoped I would also one day find its sequel, "The Return of the Word Spy". Well, today at Vinnies I did! What serendipity!
And speaking of the unexpected, I also found a copy of Sam Willis & James Daybell's "Histories of the Unexpected". More serendipity! Some people pay hundreds for their highs; I get mine for $2 at Vinnies!
And yes, my GP gave me my sixth COVID booster shot before accepting my "bribe" and passing me for another twelve months of motoring!
