This past weekend was a three day Lindy and Blues Festival all around Albany. I had a great time, learned a lot, and met some wonderful people, including a physics PhD candidate at RPI. Skipping details on the weekend's dances to get to the actual story... as I was walking down State Street to the office this morning I noticed one of my partners from this weekend standing at the bus stop. We both smiled recognizing each other and I continued to the office.
There's a small quotation hanging in my room that reads "Strangers are simply friends we haven't met." It's entirely possible, even likely, that my partner and I have passed each other on the street once or on more than one occasion. I pride myself on always remembering faces, even if unable to recall a name or where I saw that person, but I don't think I had ever seen my partner before Friday's dance. How many more people am I separated from by even one degree? How many strangers do I pass at the same street corner at the same time of day and not recognize? It's interesting to think that the stranger standing next to you on the metro could become your best friend, if only a conversation were started. There must be a mathematical theory for the infinite possibilities of everyday life, but me, with my non-mathematical, philosophical mind, can claim no knowledge of such a theory or how it works. Though still young, I sometimes reflect on how my life could have been different if some particular event had never happened or were delayed or developed differently. While spending a day with a good friend, who was born in the 1930s so he has some experience to offer, he told me a story of his high school crush. They were 15 and she was dating an "older man" (he was two years older) at the time. She went on to marry and raise a family with him. After her husband passed she was very lonely and wanted to be with someone so she remarried. Neither she nor her second husband nor her grown children are happy with arrangement. When my friend mentioned a few years back at a high school reunion that he had a crush on her back in high school, she was rather upset. Had she known that my friend, a widower who says he's 'ready to be with someone for the rest of his life,' had a crush on her, they probably would be married right now. It's kind of sad to hear. But my friend is happy when they chat or meet for lunch every six months or so, and he really loves the leather reclining swivel chair she convinced him to buy for himself.
But as my ramblings are coming to a close I think I should try and articulate a clear purpose. It's easy to stay well connected to the people we love who live miles away, but we shouldn't stop trying to make and look for the random connections that build up our daily experiences. These unplanned connections are enriching and add spontaneity to the monotony of daily routines. So keep your eyes up, open, and smile.
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