What are your most random chance encounters? What's the farthest away, or weirdest place, or strangest time you've ever run into someone you know? Here are three chance meetings that come to mind.
3. Remember last week when I discovered that stack of undelivered wedding thank you notes? Well, one of the people on that list was the cross country coach my freshman year of high school. I hadn't seen him for years and years and when I saw the thank you note addressed to him, I started remembering some fun times we all had with the team. One of those fun times was climbing Mt. St. Helens, which (you may recall) I achieved again just a few days ago.
So when I saw my coach at Fred Meyer on Tuesday, he was so fresh in my memory that it was as if I had seen him recently instead of 10 years ago. It was just weird to run into him by chance so soon after having him brought to mind by other events.
2. Early last month we were at a regional church activity at Watkins Glen State Park. I was just returning to my table after getting food when I spotted an old friend I grew up with back in Portland. I had had a vague idea of him living in the area (in a small town about 45 minutes away from Ithaca, as it turned out) but it was still quite a shock to see him in rural upstate New York, across the country from where we grew up.
1. My best and favorite chance encounter took place in Novosibirsk, Russia, aka SIBERIA. An on-again, off-again worst enemy/tolerated friend/amicable acquaintance from my childhood (true story: he once beat me up at church) was serving a two-year Mormon mission in that area, which I knew. But I don't think that makes it any less completely, crazy random that Jeremy and I met him by chance on the streets of Novosibirsk while we were out sight-seeing. Seriously, what are the odds?
And what are your best chance encounters?
3. Remember last week when I discovered that stack of undelivered wedding thank you notes? Well, one of the people on that list was the cross country coach my freshman year of high school. I hadn't seen him for years and years and when I saw the thank you note addressed to him, I started remembering some fun times we all had with the team. One of those fun times was climbing Mt. St. Helens, which (you may recall) I achieved again just a few days ago.
So when I saw my coach at Fred Meyer on Tuesday, he was so fresh in my memory that it was as if I had seen him recently instead of 10 years ago. It was just weird to run into him by chance so soon after having him brought to mind by other events.
2. Early last month we were at a regional church activity at Watkins Glen State Park. I was just returning to my table after getting food when I spotted an old friend I grew up with back in Portland. I had had a vague idea of him living in the area (in a small town about 45 minutes away from Ithaca, as it turned out) but it was still quite a shock to see him in rural upstate New York, across the country from where we grew up.
1. My best and favorite chance encounter took place in Novosibirsk, Russia, aka SIBERIA. An on-again, off-again worst enemy/tolerated friend/amicable acquaintance from my childhood (true story: he once beat me up at church) was serving a two-year Mormon mission in that area, which I knew. But I don't think that makes it any less completely, crazy random that Jeremy and I met him by chance on the streets of Novosibirsk while we were out sight-seeing. Seriously, what are the odds?
And what are your best chance encounters?