topic Re: Small world stories. in Among Friends

Small world stories.

this is my nic — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 02:22:21 GMT

I love small world stories! Here's mine.

In the last 10 days or so of this July, DH and I were on a cruise to Alaska leaving from Seattle. We live in NC, so this was a cross continent trip. When our cruise was over and we were back in Seattle, we stayed over night and got our flight home the next day. I'm trying to keep this brief, but there are lots of important tid-bits that make my experience even more bizarre.

Since we both have physical issues, we get in the early boarding line. While waiting, I commented that I hoped we were in the right line. The woman ahead of us commented that she was pretty certain that we were. We spoke no more than a couple words to each other. Something about this woman was familiar, so I asked her name. When she replied, I really could have been knocked over with a feather! She and I were childhood friends; her house was around the corner from ours. Our home town was very small., our graduation class had 48 members!

She and her husband were in Seattle for a different reason than ours. They hadn't been on the cruise.

What are the chances of this happening? I should have bought lottery tix! BTW, we both live in NC, our home state is PA.

Re: Small world stories.

Irish1210 — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 02:24:53 GMT

I love "small world" stories ~ Thanks for sharing yours : )

Re: Small world stories.

Bridgegal — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 02:59:30 GMT

@this is my nic

That is a good one.

The first month after we moved to Santa Fe, we were on a free shuttle that goes around town. Two women were sitting across from us and were the only other people on the shuttle.

One of them said something to us, I forget what, but we asked what brought them to SF and she said they were here for a cousins wedding. She said they came here from PA. We said we just moved here from PA and asked where she lived. She hesitated and said "oh a small town not far from Philly and told us the name of the town. Well you guessed it. That's where we moved from and she only lived about 2 miles from where we lived there. We knew she never dreamed we would have heard of the town, much less lived there for over a decade. It is a small world.

Oh and a woman just rented the other 1/2 of our duplex until she finds a house to buy. You guessed it, she's from another town about 8 miles from where we lived.

Re: Small world stories.

phoenixbrd — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 04:33:39 GMT

@this is my nic synchronicity at its best.

Re: Small world stories.

aubnwa01 — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 07:06:00 GMT

I worked with a guy (he was from NJ) at the phone co. up in Seattle for 3 years & we became good friends. After we'd both retired, I found out that he's the cousin of a friend that I went to high school with in SoCal.

The subject never came up while we were working together (he was from Joisy, after all) & after retirement he was visiting his cousin, my HS friend, who now lives in NoCal & his wife mentioned that a friend of theirs from HS had just retired from the phone co. up in WA & he said my name as a question & they said "YES!"

Re: Small world stories.

itsmagic — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 13:48:34 GMT

Several years ago we were vacationing in Michigan’s UP and as we were driving along we saw a small sign for a pull-over to see a small waterfall. So we pulled over and as we were walking through the woods on a long dirt path to see the waterfalls, a family we knew from our hometown (about an 8 hour drive away) was walking back up the path from already seeing the waterfalls. It was so weird to have that happen.

Re: Small world stories.

Vivian — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 17:03:08 GMT

A couple of years ago, my husband and I had lunch with an old friend. She told us that her daughter, a physician, had just taken a job at a wonderful facility in NC, helping troubled youth. They had horses that helped with therapy. The very next day, my husband and I met up with a former student who returned for Homecoming. We were catching up on family when she told us that one of her daughters had serious drug and emotional problems. The good news was that they found a wonderful facility in NC where they used horses to help in therapy.

My husband and I soon realized that it was the same facility where our friend’s daughter worked. I asked my husband’s student if she knew a Dr.——- and named our friend’s daughter. Sure enough, our friend’s daughter was the doctor who was caring for the former student’s daughter.

Re: Small world stories.

this is my nic — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 18:08:55 GMT

@Bridgegal

Hi Bridgegal! We always say the same thing when asked where we're from originally--"a small town you never heard of". Since we also are from a small town in PA, may I ask the name of your town? We could be from the same place!

Re: Small world stories.

Bridgegal — Sun, 11 Aug 2019 22:21:10 GMT

We lived in Downingtown in Chester County. West of Philly. How about you?

Re: Small world stories.

chrystaltree — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 17:32:16 GMT

I love stories like that. On our 2nd trip to London, about 15 years ago. Hubby and I were each off doing our own thing and I stopped in a little restaurant for lunch. I was juggling my shopping bags and bumped into a guy exiting.....the guy....was a man I knew from church! We had chatted about the weather and traffic that past Sunday during coffee hour! Just a few days before. It was just so weird. My friend had a similar experience. She and her hubby go to Vegas 2 or 3 times a year. She has a much older brother who lives near Chicago, they call each other on their birthdays and on Christmas but don't visit each other. While they were in Vegas, several times, she saw a man and thought "he looks so much like my brother", "he could be my brother's twin". A month later, near her birthday, her brother calls and they long chat and he tells her "I was in Vegas last month and for a second, I thought I saw you. I almost ran after that woman, she looked so much like you". When my friend told him about his "twin", they compared notes. They had both been staying in the same hotel! They had both been to the same casinos. It was funny and weird but a little sad that they'd missed an opportunity to meet up and spend some time together.

Re: Small world stories.

homedecor1 — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 04:05:12 GMT

Today I had not only one of these moments but a shock too!

I flew home to be with my dear older friend who was having surgery today (No way was I letting her go alone). She went into hospital early am -- surgery started around 1:30. The surgeon told me to plan for 4-5 hours. I was going to leave but then decided to just wait.

As I'm sitting in family waiting area -- this adorable older italian couple came in w/their son. Of course, I speak limited italian but we-struck up a conversation. As I'm enjoying their company I hear "Aunt ### what are you doing here?"

I couldn't believe it..it was my goddaughter who I haven't seen in years. I see her mom when I come up - we were neighbors, our kids born 9 hours apart and so much more🙂. Her boyfriend was admitted for emergency surgery --I just couldn't believe it. She recently moved back to area but what were the chances of seeing her in this situation.

Her mom & I said this was fate! I agree! All patients are doing well🙂

Re: Small world stories.

ALRATIBA — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 16:08:49 GMT

I have so many of them re meeting people today who I have some connection with dating back years ago and far away.

When you think about the millions and millions of people in NYC ... the odds are running into someone you have a connection are probably very low. Just one story ...

One man ... our Irish ancestors settled in the same small mining town in Pennsylvania in the 1880s and might have worked in the same mines ... and no doubt knew each other. They appear on the same 1900 Census.

His family was from Dublin, mine from Donegal. Then - his family moved to the Bronx ... mine to Brooklyn ... then to Queens ... now both of us are in Manhattan now ... living in the same building.

Re: Small world stories.

CrazyKittyLvr2 — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 16:37:31 GMT

35 or so years ago my husband and I along with 2 of his brothers and their wives went to a new restaurant 40 miles away in the next state. All of a sudden my 1 BIL stated laughing and said "isn't that xxxx over there?" We all looked across the room to a dimly lit corner to see a guy from our town having a romantic dinner with another woman. It was clearly not a business dinner.

He saw us about the same time and looked like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him. We never told a soul, but within 6 months he was divorced and married his dinner companion.

Re: Small world stories.

this is my nic — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 21:34:34 GMT

@Bridgegal

Hi Bridgegal! I'm sorry it's taken so long to respond; sometimes I forget about this site!

DH and I are from the same small town near the Poconos.

Re: Small world stories.

Bridgegal — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 04:43:32 GMT

Ah, we never made it there. We got as far as Jim Thorpe which was a nice day trip. The Poconos looked beautiful, esp. in the winter .

Re: Small world stories.

lynnie61 — Sat, 17 Aug 2019 22:55:04 GMT

Years ago my sister and I went to Disney. We were at a small non Disney restaurant — maybe 10-15 miles away. Someone calling my name, my sister said someone is calling you over there. I said they must mean someone else. It was a guy I worked with years before there with his wife. It was just weird at an unknown place 800 miles from home.

Re: Small world stories.

handygal2 — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 22:53:38 GMT

This small world story happened to my DH, a couple of years before l met him.

He went to a “singles” dance, which were popular in the ‘70s. He saw a girl who he was interested in, and asked her to dance. In getting to know each other, they asked each other “How old are you.” Same age... “When’s your birthday.” Same bithhday... “What year?” Same year... This was starting to get spooky. But it gets even better.

Then they asked each other “In what city were you born?” Same city... “Which hospital.” Same hospital!!! Their mothers might have even been roommates in the same maternity ward!

This relationship sounded like it was Karma, and meant-to-be. They dated for over a year, and were going to get engaged. But once DH brought her home to meet the family, things didn’t go well. They broke up a few months later.

I met him about 6 months after that, and the rest is history! Lol.

Re: Small world stories.

Financialgrl — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 15:41:17 GMT

@CrazyKittyLvr2 wrote:
35 or so years ago my husband and I along with 2 of his brothers and their wives went to a new restaurant 40 miles away in the next state. All of a sudden my 1 BIL stated laughing and said "isn't that xxxx over there?" We all looked across the room to a dimly lit corner to see a guy from our town having a romantic dinner with another woman. It was clearly not a business dinner.

He saw us about the same time and looked like he wished the floor would open up and swallow him. We never told a soul, but within 6 months he was divorced and married his dinner companion.

Same thing happened to friends and I. We worked at same military installation and there had long been rumors that one of our married high ranking military was having an affair with a younger woman in the command.

We retired and travelled a lot and were walking around St. Bart, saw these two and he was still married. Years later we heard that he'd later divorced and married this woman.

FF a few years and he died and there were two obituaries in the paper on the same day. The first obituary was obviously written by his kids and did not mention their father's second wife/life. The second obit was sent in from the new wife and did not mention his previous life or any of his children.