Perhaps the atmospheric conditions were perfect or some extra reaction was taking place inside the factory. Either way the Woolston steam stack had split in two. I ride or drive this way every day and it’s a first for me at least.

It reminded me of the time I saw the left headlight of an oncoming car blow as it drove by. I thought to myself, what are the chances of ever seeing that again? In a nerdy way it was a real moment to savor.

I guess the steam stack might split an lot more than I realize but it’s more fun to imagine that this was a one off. That something about today’s conditions were just so.

Because there are lots of things that we’ll only ever see once and they so often go unnoticed. The particular order of cars at a red light, the pattern of leaves on the pavement, or the cacophony of sounds that mingle throughout the day. Thousands of tiny intersections, constantly intersecting.

And all the specific combinations and permutations are just so unlikely and the factors so complex that they defy any real probability. Splitting steam stacks and blown headlights are little reminders of just how unlikely this particular scenario is. A reminder of all the tiny linked moments that happened to lead to this one and how wonderfully endless the possibilities are.