Coincidence, the humour of the universe

[charliesmum]

Someone, I'm not sure who but Terry Pratchett has quoted this a few times, has said that there are only something like 500 real people in the world, which is why they keep running into each other. Sometimes, it really seems like it is true.

Like I said in my last post, I am aquainted with Chris and Steve, one of the couples interviewed in the article, and, even though we aren't on more than a 'hey, how are you doing' kind of a friendship, we do constantly cross paths. The oddest one was when I saw my friend's sister at the Collingswood Farmer's Market walking with her new girlfriend and her girlfriend's friends, Steve and Chris.

There are plenty of other little moments, too. For example, In my first job in New York, I worked with this guy who, not only was best friends during college with a girl I'd gone to acting class with during grade school, and was very good friends with, but his brother had been engaged to a girl I'd gone to college with.

And, prior to that, when I was in college, there was a girl in my speech class whose family was really good friends with one of MY good friend's family. Understand, the town where I grew up was very big. I had over 700 people in my graduating class alone. What are the odds of meeting someone in college who knew someone I'd gone to high school with?

This one, though, is my favorite story.

I was introduced to my friend Anna Freshman year of college because she'd spent her high school years in England, going to an American high school in High Wicombe. Naturally everyone who knew me knew I'd enjoy knowing her.

Anna and I hit it off right away, had one of those hours long conversation where we kept saying 'oh my god, me too!' Eventually she asked me where I was from, and I told her. (big town, remember)

"Oh my God!" she squealed, "My friend Kathy (lastname) was from Cherry Hill." Kathy had transferred to Anna's high school in England after her freshman year.

I knew Kathy. I went to her going-away party. Anna saw photos of me four years before we'd ever met. Weird, isn't it?

So, what about you? Any good stories about 1 in 100 chance meetings?

PS. Icon has nothing to do with anything. I just like it.

Comments

[fourthage.livejournal.com]

I like Neil Gaiman's version: there are actually many, many groups of 500 which keep running into each other. Which much nicer and less elitist than the other one (what, those other 5 billion people aren't real?).

[femaelstrom27.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I totally just watched that episode of House the other day! Hotness.

I have a few bizarre stories of those chance meetings/relationships, but my thoughts are a bit scattered right now.

[jenlittlebottom.livejournal.com]

In Intercourse, Pennsylvania, my dad and I randomly met some other folks from New Zealand at the table next to us in the restaurant.

This wouldn't be so weird if they didn't originally come from the same small town as my dad's family lived in - my dad's uncle used to be the guy's hairdresser. :)

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

Win. That's bizzare!

[jenlittlebottom.livejournal.com]

I have an even better one - an Indian friend of mine was complaining to her friend (also a friend of mine) about how there were no nice Indian guys around (she's in England, up north, just became a doc).

The next time said mutual friend talked to her, a nice guy had moved in next door to her, also a doctor.

A nice Indian guy.

A nice Indian guy from the same area of India as her.

A nice Indian guy from the exact same village as her, although they'd never been introduced before.

And now they're married. :)

[robriki.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have one! I saw this icon, of this woman, with her son, and I recognized her as someone I went to college with...oh, wait, that was YOU!!

:)

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

I was actually going to use that as an example, but I'd babbled already long enough. That's one of the weirder ones. I mean we have the whole world online to chose from!

I think you knew Anna too, actually. :)

[robriki.livejournal.com]

I did indeed know Anna.

[leakyandsnort.livejournal.com]

My husband is 5 years older than me: we grew up in the same town, went to dfferent (catholic v public) schools. Friends of mine knew him: his mom babysat friends of mine, he was a camp counselor with another friend, and still another was roommates in college with a girlfriend of his. My senior year in high school, I went to a 'college' party at his parents' house and met him. Still, we never really MET until I was about 22 & my best friend from high school worked with him at a tiny restaurant in the city.

does that count?

[ligia-sis.livejournal.com]

One of my good friend, Lynda, was friends with a girl (Michelle) in 7th grade that I considered a friend at that time - Michelle & I were in band together - all 3 of us went to the same junior high - however, for the life of me, I cannot remember meeting Lynda in 7th grade & she's not that forgettable! LOL I didn't meet Lynda until years later!

Also, this isn't exactly the same - but I ran into a guy in Chicago during the middle of the St Pat's parade that I had ran around with & had a crush on in my town. He had moved back to Chicago about 6 mos before this.

[jessii-6.livejournal.com]

My example isn't as important. Because, frankly, it's all a big village here.
When I was in eleventh grade we were taken to an air-force base for a couple days/a week. During that visit, as my class was in Hatzerim, we went to the museum, saw planes take off and were in a hanger, a garage (for planes, not for cars) and one lab of one department of electronics, where we had a mini-lecture of the things they do. Of course it was exactly the same lab where I'd spend my duty three years later, with the guy who gave us the explanation. I was not part of the decision-making that brought me there.

And last year I talked to a girl that studies nutrition in my year and both of us had that 'I think I saw you before'. We were in army in the same place at the same time, but worked in different places on different things, so we probably did not know each other. Both the faculty and the base have about 2-3K people, so the chance is not very big.