Paul Auster ja yhteensattumien voima // Paul Auster and the power of coincidences

On kirjoja, joihin pitää aina tietyin välein palata. Paul Austerin The Red Notebook (1995) on yksi sellainen.

Tämä pieni vihreä pokkari, ja etenkin sen ensimmäiset 40 sivua, on aivan mahtavaa luettavaa. Auster kertoo tosijuttuja yhteensattumista. Sellaisista, jotka saavat uskomaan jonkunlaiseen punaiseen lankaan elämässä.

Suosikkijuttuni on numero seitsemän. Siinä Auster kertoo vaimonsa siskosta, joka meni Taipeihin opiskelemaan. Eräänä päivänä Taipeissa vaimon sisko juttelee toisen amerikkalaisen opiskelijan kanssa. He huomaavat, että kummankin sisko asuu New Yorkissa. Loppu onkin legendaa:
"- My sister lives on the Upper West Side.
- So does mine.
- My sister lives on the West 109th Street.
- So does mine!
- My sister lives on the second floor of 309 West 109th Street."
Tässä vaiheessa toinen vetää henkeä ja sanoo, että niinpä hänenkin siskonsa. Puhujien siskot ovat seinänaapureita New Yorkissa.

Tästä Auster jatkaa:
"As the two young women in Taipei marveled over the astounding connection they had just uncovered, they realized that their sisters were probably asleep at that moment. On the same floor of the same building in northern Manhattan, each one was sleeping in her own apartment, unaware of the conversation that was taking place about them on the other side of the world."

Yhteensattumat, nuo hienot hienot hetket!
Tiedät varmaan.
Kun juttelee uuden ihmisen kanssa ja huomaa, että on yhteinen vanha tuttava. Tai että on telttaillut samaan aikaan samalla leirintäalueella 5-vuotiaina.
Kun kiinnostuu jostain tai etsii jotain, ja äkkiä tuota asiaa alkaa näkyä kaikkialla.
Hetkiä, joina maailma tulee vastaan.

Omassa elämässäni on ollut paljon kummallisia ja suuntaa antavia yhteensattumia. Edelleen yritän olla avoinna niille.
Onko sinun elämässäsi ollut tällaisia hetkiä?

* * * *

There are books I have to return to every now and then. The Red Notebook (1995) by Paul Auster is one of them.

This green little paperback, and especially the first 40 pages, is an excellent read. Auster tells true stories about coincidences.

My favourite is number seven. In it, Auster tells about his wife's sister, who went to study in Taipei. One day in Taipei the wife's sister is talking with another American student. They realize that both of them have sisters living in New York. The rest is a bit of a legend:

"- My sister lives on the Upper West Side.
- So does mine.
- My sister lives on the West 109th Street.
- So does mine!
- My sister lives on the second floor of 309 West 109th Street."
At this point the other sighs and says that so does her sister. The sisters of these two people talking are neighbours in New York.

Auster continues:
"As the two young women in Taipei marveled over the astounding connection they had just uncovered, they realized that their sisters were probably asleep at that moment. On the same floor of the same building in northern Manhattan, each one was sleeping in her own apartment, unaware of the conversation that was taking place about them on the other side of the world."

Coincidences, those lovely lovely moments!
You probably know.
When you're talking to someone and realize that you share an old friend. Or that you've both been camping on the same camping area at the same time when you both were 5 yrs old.
When you get interested in something or look for something and suddenly that something is being seen everywhere.
Moments, when the world gets a little bit closer.

I've had many strange and direction-giving coincidences in my life. I still try to be open to them.
Have you had any moments of this kind in your life??