When Fate Steps In

Discovering photography was Daguerre's primary goal in life. He pursued it relentlessly for years, but to no avail. He knew he was right on the edge of inventing photography, but he couldn't figure out the last step: how to develop an exposed plate to reveal the picture.

A thermometer that burst in his cupboard showed him the answer. The spilled mercury developed the plate, turning a blank piece of metal into a photograph. That fateful accident provided Daguerre with the missing ingredient he needed to become the world's first photographer.

If it wasn't for fate, Daguerre may never have found what he was looking for, and the history of photography would be forever changed.

I felt guided by the hands of fate today when I got lost and discovered an abandoned apartment complex. It was an urban explorer's paradise. There were at least twenty buildings on site, and almost all of them were accessible. There were no "no trespassing" signs, and it was possible to enter without breaking in. The legal risk was low, and the place was completely deserted.

I can always tell when there are people inside of a building. It is as though I can sense their hearts beating in the collapsing rooms or feel their thoughts reaching out into the space around them.

I got out of the car in my little green sundress and went through the first open door I came to. People had left furniture behind along with many of their personal things. The complex had been deserted in a hurry. It looked like it had been that way for a long time, but few (if any) looters had come through to ravage it.

I was treated to an hour of learning about the lives of the people who had been there, and contemplating who they were and why they left. Those thoughts spun into stories which I will now write and share with mankind.

Like Daguerre's mercury spill helped him contribute photography to society, my wrong turn helped me contribute to the next generation of American literature.

Accidentally finding that exploration site made me think about what fate really is. I realized that when we're fixated on something, we are more likely to see opportunities related to that subject. Our passions become the lens through which we see the world.

Opportunities relating to math or the stock market probably spring up around me all the time, but I'm blind to them because I'm not equipped to recognize their value. In a similar vein, a person who is not a born storyteller may see abandoned buildings as useless places filled with junk rather than anthropological relics filled with clues about the people who once lived there.

You know you and fate are working hand in hand when you see something that makes your heart pound, and instead of continuing on your way, you change course and accept your next challenge.