[Life Philosophy] A Connection That Is Not Fate

Today, we just came back from the spring outing, and since it's also a weekend, the teacher naturally wouldn't miss the chance to give a passionate “speech,” so school ended much later than usual. Moreover, there was the delay caused by the beer-drinking incident, which made it three hours later than normal. But as always, I first took Bus 18 at the 'Dongfanghong Terminal,' not far from the school, then transferred to Bus 17 at the West Bus Station. And for this reason, Bus 18 was fine, and Bus 17 unusually wasn't crowded this time; instead, every seat was taken, and the bus left with a ‘honk.'

It's really strange, as these two buses happen to be consecutive numbers, first 18, then 17. That wouldn't be much, but after I got on Bus 17, I had to transfer again to another bus, which coincidentally was the 39th multiple of Bus 18. Although this doesn't mean anything, perhaps it's a kind of fate, which indeed is quite mysterious.

In fact, humans are, in some way, born with the notion that any unsolvable problem ultimately traces back to the arrangement of heaven and earth. I believe in no religion, so calling me an atheist wouldn't be an exaggeration. But sometimes, I can't help but think of things I don't understand as the arrangements of destiny. The hidden truths in them are untouchable, only the 'great sages who measure the heavens and earth with a frown' can grasp a bit of the law within, but unfortunately, such people only appear in martial arts or fantasy novels.

I have the habit of keeping QQ online on my phone. Even though I don't have a touchscreen phone and the internet speed is a bit slow, I never hesitate, just as someone used to eating watermelon would find it strange to eat a banana. Sometimes it even backfires, reaching the point of 'a dog catching a mouse, meddling in things outside its business.'

I also have the habit of checking my friends list; if someone is online, we can chat. However, some of my classmates can be said to have become distant or even strangers to me. After all, since graduating from sixth grade, we've never kept in touch. Occasionally, there might be symbolic greetings, but without the slightest feeling of brotherhood from before, we've become like passing strangers. 'You walk your sunny path, I walk my single-log bridge.' Even if we happen to meet one day and brush past each other, each strand of hair tugging at your heart, we wouldn't look back. Yet both sides know it—pretending not to recognize each other after knowing each other—that is true estrangement.I have had several such experiences, though none quite like this one. Those I encountered were all people with whom I had poor relationships; even if we had met in the past, we probably wouldn't have known each other, and we were too lazy to even lift a hand to greet. This wasn't just estrangement; it was simply being strangers. Thinking of this, I felt somewhat fortunate. Yet I don't know where this feeling comes from; it always rises like a wisp of smoke, lingering in my heart, never dissipating. But I know, if it truly dissipated, then humanity itself would also truly vanish.

I remember one time when I was going home, sitting on Route 17, a classmate from elementary school chatted with me for a while. He and I had a fairly good relationship. Because he liked playing World of Warcraft and so did I, our relationship was decent. To this day, I still remember the scenes of us playing together on the LAN in the computer room. I was a beginner. Being beaten by him was normal, yet I couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. At first, I didn't know about gold mines, and by the time he told me, I was already ‘‘surrounded on all sides and in a losing position.'' I glared viciously at the classmate beside me, who was an experienced player and very sensible. When I asked him, 'Why didn't you tell me?' he immediately replied, 'You didn't ask me, so why should I tell you?'

He was right. If you didn't ask me, why should I tell you?

At the time, I didn't think much of it, but looking back now, it does resonate somewhat.

Meeting people is itself a form of fate, a word that can't be fully explained. But the initiative has always been in our hands; it is also possible that our decisions control fate, which confirms the saying, 'You control your own destiny.'

Just like now, this article I am writing can also be considered a kind of fate, I suppose…

Author: ddzzzzx