Consequences again

Chains of influence and consequence

Saturday, November 30, 2013

http://fearfunandfiloz.blogspot.com/2013/11/chains-of-influence-and-consequence.html

I am interested in chains of consequence in our lives.  I  could have inherited notable musical skill if my genetics included genes of the right type from that famous composer, What'sHisName.  I would have genes from ol' What's if my greatgreatgreatgreat grandfather hadn't spilled the glass of red wine on that date when he went out with What'sHerName.  But he did, she was angry and humiliated the rest of the trip, their engagement was deleted and they went their separate ways.  They didn't plan to put the kibosh on my violin-playing but it was kiboshed even so.

There are so many small, sometimes unnoticed, events that influenced who got born, who survived, who managed to have children, who managed to survive,  I like to think about any couple: how did they meet?  What did they do that struck a good note?  Did their parents object to that possible partner's background, religion, occupation, personality?  Did the objections cause a flight or help to cement the relationship?

A friend told me that a woman ancestor of hers was engaged when she boarded a ship to the US but that when she disembarked, she was engaged to a different man.  Life is chancey!