Coincidentally

our hotel reception in toulouse

I was in Toulouse last week, a brief holiday to celebrate my wife's 60th. Strolling out for dinner (Michelin starred, five course mega treat), I noticed a familiar face at check-in. A UK actor, who's attached to one of my films. Could it really be them? I thought, ‘nah’, and kept going. Next day at brekkie, the actor was there, it was most definitely them. So I went up to say hello.

Now, we’ve never met. Not really. Very briefly almost 30 years ago, a literal lifetime, so we’ve never properly spoken or interacted before. So it was a surprise and delight to say Hi, and give them an update on what’s happening with the flick. But what to make of this happy coincidence?

At the very least, it feels like a neat nudge to maintain momentum on the project (which seems to be endlessly straddling development and finance to the point where you think: this is hopeless). Or was bumping into the actor just a random rendezvous with no real consequence or meaning?

As ever, it’s the meaning we assign to our interactions that matter. I could treat it as a fun happenstance, or I could use it as inspiration. To invigorate the development process, and wave a proactive flag for the production. I’ll choose the latter. Try to put an incident into the coincidence. I’m not sure exactly how or what at the moment, but I’ll do something.

My wife was in a suitably reflective mood for her milestone birthday. Time doesn’t sit still. And it could disappear from us at any point. Which sounds downbeat, but it’s not meant to. Cliché alert: make the most of the time we have. After all, what have we got to(u)lose; a cliché and a lame pun to finish, I’m so sorry…