matt dash low dot com

As I write this, I’m taking a break from finishing off my term paper. Isn’t that ironic? Taking a break from writing by… writing? But I want to maintain a rate of a post a day. Not to mention the fact that my brain is quite fried.

Throughout life, there will be doors that open in front and doors that close behind. Sometimes you step through them without realizing it. Other times you may look and miss it. Recognizing opportunity is an important life skill regardless of what trade you’re in.

The Story

Let me tell you a story that happened today.

I was heading home on the way from school. After showing the bus driver my fare, I promptly sat down near the back of the bus. To my surprise, a classmate of mine was also on that same bus. She is in my CRIM 104 tutorial and I couldn’t remember her name. We exchanged pleasantries but I decided to get up and sit next to her so we could talk comfortably.We started talking a bit more and I discovered that she was in her first year at SFU. No, she wasn’t majoring in Criminology but was considering minoring in it. Yes, she started on her term paper but encountered some difficulty with it because she has never written a paper like this before (further affirming my believe in this blog and what I’m trying to do). She said kind words about the presentation I gave two months ago and even remembered the questions that I asked the class for discussionary purposes.

At this point, transit cops showed up. Today was the first time I’ve ever seen them board a bus and checking fares. I usually see them on the sky train. My friend started to panic. She misplaced her U-Pass and it was still being mailed to her. She thought her student ID would be enough to hold up, and I assume the bus driver let her through. But I know the transit police would not be as kind. Turns out all she had to do was purchase a fare ticket. But she didn’t have any change! I checked my wallet, and all I had was 75 cents. Not enough to cover the rising costs of Translink. Curse me for not bringing enough change! At this point, I was already several stops past my bus stop and she decided to step off and call for a ride home rather than deal with the hassles of Translink.

But she didn’t have her phone with her!

Being the tech savvy geek I am, I offered her the use of my phone which she gladly accepted. Success! Parents on the way! We talked a bit more about school before we parted ways.

I took ten steps before I realized that I lost out on a key opportunity here. I missed out on a chance to partner up with a study buddy. I missed out on a chance to get to know someone. I missed out on a chance to offer direction in school where it can often be a scary place for first years. I missed out on a chance to explore a new friendship or a relationship even, but I know I’m not ready for that yet.

Sigh

So now you see. Here I had a classmate from school. I don’t have any idea what her name is and I completely missed a potential opportunity. With this week being the last day of classes and tutorials, it is very likely that I will never see her again. I failed to recognize this opportunity and capitalize on it.

But it’s not over yet…

You see, when she made the call on my phone, she didn’t wipe her number from my dialed calls list…

Remember, as one door closes another opens up. It’s up to you to walk through it.