Just Jot It January 28

Just Jot It January 28th – Serendipity

 

Jot -Serendipity

Did you know that serendipity is one of the top ten hardest words to translate into other languages?  Interesting.  Despite the difficulty -more countries are using this word.

In 1557, Michele Tramezzino of Venice, wrote Peregrinaggil di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo.  It was translated later, into English -after finding a French translation to The Three Princes of Serendip.

Serendip is the Persian and Urdu name for Sri Lanka.  This name was adopted from another name -that translates to golden island.

I wondered why?  So, I looked into this question.  I never found a straight answer, as Sri Lanka is actually referred to as the island of gems or island of the ruby.

What I did discover that would come close -is  The Golden Temple of Dambulla.  People have lived in these caves for 3000 years.  The outsides are adorned with golden Buddha’s and so much more.  Quite fascinating.

Horace Walpole coined the word serendipity, in a letter concerning, his daughters.  He pulled the meaning from The Three Princes of Serendip.  If you look this book up on Amazon.com -you will find The Three Princes: A tale from the Middle East.  There was also a Japanese version available.

The story is about a king who wishes his sons to have the very best education.    When their training is complete -he offers them, the throne.  The princes refuse the offer, claiming only their father holds the wisdom to run their kingdom.

The King begins to doubt his sons are indeed ready to handle life -as they’ve been coddled.  He sends them far away.

The princes find a camel they have not seen, and report it missing in town.  They are accused of having stolen the missing camel -as they describe it perfectly.  The camel was lame, blind in one eye, carrying a pregnant woman, and missing a tooth.

The keen eye of observation, the abilities to use each of their five senses, and puzzle solving skills were the tools of accomplishment.  If I were king of the… okay, I’m never going to be king -nor am I the singing lion, from The Wizard of Oz – what I am, is a woman who believes teaching these same tools of deduction would benefit our children today.  We are heavily reliant on the computer, our phones and other technical gadgets.  Even with my convictions in this matter -I am only able to write this information, because my computer offered it with a few simple presses upon my keyboard.

In 1999, a big fuss was made about the turning of the century.  Would we lose all of our data?  Would the computers even operate?  Technicians, programmers and engineers worked diligently to save our technology.

With that much effort, fear and stress -will our future children be able to survive, should technology fail?  Do they have the skill set to deduce, discover and the clarity to find an old way -and create something new -without pressing a button?

We see our world continually moving forward.  Technology of old, will be replaced with the new.  With each step forward, mankind moves further from their physical and mental creation, into the virtual world of possibilities.

It makes me question: Star trek once did a show where the ship was controlled by brains in class containers.  Will we one-day, need our bodies?  Will we be like the people of in Wall-E (by the way, they should make a second, to this wonderful anime)?  If these possibilities come true, with this blog become a serendipity?  Or, a cruel witticism?