i saw rabbit hole last night. a play about a couple's grief after losing their 4 year old son. he was hit by a car that was driven by a teenager named jason. there's a scene with jason and the young boy's mother, becca, where they begin to discuss the idea of parallel universes. jason says that if you believe in science, you believe in the possibility - almost certainty - of the existence of parallel universes. becca finds comfort in this. the idea that somewhere out there in the universe, there is a version of her that is happy, that still has her son.
i was intrigued by this. i've heard of parallel universes before, but i just assumed it was the wishful thinking of sci-fi freaks. i never thought it was an actual scientific possibility. so today, i turn on pbs at the start of an episode of nova. it's about mark everett of the eels. turns out that mark's father, hugh, was a quantum physicist. the quantum physicist who came up with the theory of parallel universes. so i watch the whole program where mark learns about his father, whom he never really knew while he was alive. it also explains how it's possible - likely even - for parallel universes to exist.
and now i'm finding the same comfort that becca found. that somewhere out there exists a version of me, who has done all the things i was too afraid to do. all the things i didn't have the courage to do. somewhere out there is a version of me that's happy.
