Sliding Doors
Tuesday, September 25th, 2007Have you ever seen the movie “Sliding Doors“? It may not rank up there with the classics my colleagues are forever talking about, but it’s one of my favorites. Perhaps it’s because part of me wants to believe in fate, but we create our own destiny. Or perhaps I’m just a hopeless romantic, but either way, I enjoy the concept behind it.
For those of you who haven’t seen it, the main concept (without giving it all away) is that the main character, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, runs down the stairs of the tube in London to catch a train and missed the train by a split second. Then, the screen splits and shows her running down again to catch the train; this time making the train. The movie proceeds to show what happens in her life moving forward from each scenario.
I suppose I take this movie to heart because of how we can all relate it to our own lives. Think of how many trains we missed by literally 2 seconds, a plane that was missed because of a traffic accident, or you were simply late and that prevented you from getting into an accident of your own? How would our lives have been affected if we made that plane or train or got out of the door on time?
I’m sure those of you that commute, or travel frequently, can think back on many scenarios where a sliding door has kept you, or helped you, decide what the next steps in your day will be. So, the next time you miss that train, which may disrupt your schedule, think of what it may have prevented you from, or, better yet, what’s yet to come!
-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher
