Sliding Door Moments in Life

I remember a night back in 1996 when I was backpacking in Europe on a Train to Krakow from Prague. I ended up standing near a window in the hallway of the train enjoying the air. 

I ended up meeting and talking with this beautiful young Australian girl who was also doing the trip to Krakow. We spent hours just talking until the conductor came by and asked to check the ticket. He told me I was in a first class not 2nd class train, so we agreed that we would meet in Krakow at the train station stop. 

Well, next morning I waited at the train station stop and she wasn’t there. Found out that the 2nd class train cabins were disconnected and then taken by another train. I never saw her again as this was in the 90s before cell phones and social media. What could have been. 

Definitely what you call a sliding door moment. A small turn left or right. 5 minutes too early or too late and your life is never the same. Random events that you never could have foreseen. Life is strange and exciting this way. 

Well, I had a major sliding door moment when I lived in Taiwan in 1997. The newspaper job I wanted to get didn’t happen so I ended up going to teach English. I saw a job ad in the newspaper and went over to apply. I found out the job had been filled but also that there was an opening at the head office. They sent me to ELSI 1. That is where I met my wife who was a fellow teacher there. My beautiful daughter is the result. 

As the author of the excellent book “Fluke” Brian Paul Klaas wrote and says: “You can’t control anything but you can influence them.” 

That means you need to actively take action and get out there. Take way more risks in life. Smart risks. You never know when you will have these sliding door moments that completely change your life.