Fate. We've all heard it. And we've all dreamed about it. But does it really exist? This past week my mother and I saw the Broadway show "If/Then." Now, it's probably one of my favorite Broadway shows of all time. The show follows Elizabeth, a recently divorced 30-something-year-old woman who had just moved back to New York City after 12-years.
At the start of the show, she is confronted with a situation where she is offered two events (at the same time) by two of her friends. So Elizabeth has to pick a friend, outing and therefore a nickname. If she chooses to go with Kate to a local concert, she becomes Liz with a life full of experiences, love and uncertainty. But if she chooses to go with Lucas to a city protest, she becomes Beth, a woman who doesn't have time for experiences or relationships but has a very successful career. The show follows Liz and Beth around and compares their situations in both scenarios, ultimately leading to a biased opinion from the audience on which life they believe is better.
When leaving the show at Boston Opera House, I contemplated my life and compared it to what Beth and Liz had to encounter due to what choices she made during a simple scenario. Do I choose the life that leads to love, friendships, fun and uncertainty? Or do I throw myself into my work and put love, friendship and fun onto the back burner? Is there a way I can have both and still be happy?
That's when I started thinking about fate. I'm not going to tell you how "If/Then" ended because you need to go see it and find out for yourself, but that's what led me to this thought: Is the person or job or experience you are destined for going to come into your life regardless of the choices you make? Should we worry about not finding the loves of our lives because fate will line us up together someday? Or should we make sure that every decision we make has to be the absolute right one in order for us to find our soulmates?
Not many people believe in fate. I'm not even sure that I do. But sometimes you just have to believe that some things actually do happen for a reason. Did that light turn red and make you miss your morning train for a reason? Were the Fate Angels plotting out your life in order for you to meet your soulmate on the later train? Did your rent go up or your roommate move out because the Fate Angels are planning on you getting a promotion in the not too distant future? Did your boyfriend ask you to move in with him because the Fate Angels are telling you its time to start settling down and that you've found the right one?
You may think all of this is nonsense or coincidence, but I'm not sure. Fate is something that comes in and out of everyone's lives all of the time. It's something that is just thrown upon us and we have to figure out a way to let it happen so we can exist in a world where we are happy. We need to let what happens happen because the Fate Angels will take care of us in the long run.
The fact that a broadway musical that has been playing around the country for no more than three-years has brought this whole spiel into my mind should tell you to go see "If/Then." If not for yourself then for your friends or family or colleagues who are struggling in their path of life. It may bring them happiness in the long run.
But hey, if you do believe in fate, then take this Odyssey piece of the week and use it as the sign you have been eagerly looking for.
