Small world

When Ann and I were having dinner with our friend Kari, Kari told us about a retreat that she and our minister Jim were going to the next day, "We'll be flying to (some town) in California. The retreat is small, for about 22 people, and we'll be guided by leaders from the Center for Courage and Renewal."

This sounds familiar, I thought to my very clever self. "Is this town near San Francisco?" Why, yes it was. "I think my friend Rose is going to the same conference. Maybe you'll even be on the same flight." (They were.)

Small world.

The next week Rose and her daugher Nora were at our home, making books with our crafty friend Karen and her granddaugher McKenzie. Both girls are 11 years old. And both girls are in the same Gggrrrlll Power class.

Small world.

Another day, Rose was telling me about her friend Selene, who gave her good advice. She had told me about Selene before, but I had never met her. "Wait. Does this Selene work at GH hospital?" Why yes, she did. And yes, she's my therapist. And yes, she's a good person to talk to.

Small world.

Maybe I should just go everywhere with Rose, and we can notice the duplication in the moment. She'll love it. No, she gets up too early.

But even without Rose in the world, it's a small world.

My previous student Chancey, who's living in NYC now, visited over the holiday. She's studying literacy at the City College of New York with the writer's workshop guru, Lucy Calkins. My colleagues Jenn and Joanna studied there with "Lucy," too.

As Chancey would say, "Gosh."

And now, at Ann's school, appeared "a woman named vander...something...she's a colleague of yours and her son goes to my school."

Ah, Laura. Yes. It's a small world, after all.

And, holy cow, there's more. I talked with a student from my first years of teaching--that's a quarter of a century ago--recently, and I asked her if she knew anything about another student, Leslie. Well, of course, Leslie lives in my city, about a mile from me. We like the same bakery.

Yep. Small world.

AND my primary care physician and I were discussing yoga, and she recommended her studio, the studio where I first experienced yoga. Her teacher, Denise, was also my teacher.

It's a small, small world.

Golly, as Uncle Tommy would say.