Miles from Fenway: It Really IS A Small World After All

It's a small, small world.

The song has been running through my head lately (and now probably through at least a few of yours). It's easy to think that in a city of a couple million people it would be easy never to run into people, never to have that kind of random coincidence type of moment. But in the last week, I've had more than my fair share. Luckily, all of them were in a good way.

Thursday of last week, I went out to drinks with my Philly Fan Friend (Let's call her PFF for short) for drinks. While we were out playing darts we ran into a guy that works at the company that I had my first job out of college. In and of itself, not random, right? Thing is this guy is based out of Boston, is rarely in NYC and just happened to be staying at a hotel across the street. Add to that that he is about four rungs up on the corporate ladder than I was when I was there, and just happened to be handed the resignation of one of his team members just hours before seeing me, and you've got a very productive coincidence. He asked me to send him my resume, which he has since passed on for consideration. Small world episode number one.

The other two both happened on Saturday night. The Midwesterner, The Guy Magnet and I went out for a night on the town that night. Just out of the relationship with Barnard Boy, wearing my glasses, and not feeling all that up to trolling for men, I was going along as the wingwoman. I just needed to get out of my apartment.

A few hours into the evening we're leaving a bar and I run into an exroommate, her boyfriend, and their friend (hi guys!) who I hadn't seen in ages. I had never been to the bar we were at, and we were just leaving as they were coming in, but it was fantastic to see them and remind myself that I really should give them a ring to hang out soon. Small world occurrence number two.

Number 3 is really the most bizarre though. That same night, at our third bar of the evening, I am starting to get sick of this scoping men out thing. Since I wasn't in the mood to meet anyone for myself and the girls were pretty focused on it, I was getting a bit bored. So I separate from them for a few minutes and head out to have a cigarette where a guy asks me for a light. We start talking, and yes, ok, kind of flirting, and he and his friend join the girls and I for a drink inside. As this guy and I are talking I ask him where he's from.

Guy: Rhode Island.
Finy: No way, me too. Where in RI?
Guy: Barrington.
Finy: *Stunned Silence*

He's from my hometown. No joke, we went to middle school together. We don't remember each other, but MUST have had some of the same classes because we had all the same teachers, and we're the same age/class (though he went to private high school while I continued on in the public school system). We know some of the same people, and our houses were probably a mile and a half apart. We spent the next THREE HOURS talking about home, who we knew, retelling stories from middle school, where we go when we go home now, etc. etc. etc. I left the bar that night and still couldn't believe it.

Moral of this story: "Though the oceans divide and the mountains are wide, it's a small world after all."

Labels: dating, drinking, misc., NYC, Unemployment

posted by FINY @ Monday, January 29, 2007

4 Comments:

At 1/30/2007, Ari said…

It is indeed a small world no dout. Sounds like it was a cool night on the town, and good luck with your contact and the job
At 1/30/2007, Esther said…

I realize that all the time - you'd think living in New York City stuff like that wouldn't happen, and yet it does. I'm curious who that guy was from Boston...
At 1/30/2007, Jack said…

Great news on the job front! I hope that works out for you.

And of course I must now share a story about a couple of friends of mine who are also from RI. They both grew up in Portsmouth about a mile apart. They went to the same high school AND the same college and didn't meet until just before the guy graduated from college. He was working at GNC and she came in for some vitamins. They started talking and then dating and are now married and living just outside of Boston.

It really can be a small world sometimes.
At 1/30/2007, Amy said…

Lordy. I think we've all had that Rhode Island story. They crawl out of the woodwork everywhere!