Not what I would call an “amazing” experience but I did have an experience 4 years ago that blew me away and really showed how small and interconnected the world is……..I was in Vicksburg MS and went to my car (hotel parking lot) to have a quick and quiet doobie. There was a younger guy who was also going out to his car (for a cooler of beer). When he saw my license plate, he asked me what part of Oregon I was from. So I told him and he told me he had also lived in Oregon for several years, but closer to Salem. So I told him I had worked for the city of Salem but actually worked in Keizer. He told me that Keizer was where he had actually lived. So I told him I had worked at the treatment plant. He said his dad (originally a MS native) had worked at the treatment plant(??!!!???). Turns out I had supervised this kid’s dad for 8-9 years. The dad was an ironclad asshole and a chronic problem the entire time he was employed at the plant. It took forever to pry that barnacle loose. So I told the kid I had known his dad, that we hadn’t gotten along and that if his dad knew we were talking, he would expect the son to punch my lights out. I was actually prepping to run like crazy if things went south. The kid laughed like crazy, shook my hand and told me that he had never gotten along with his dad either and was glad to finally meet the devil he had heard such terrible things about as a kid. Then we sat in that parking lot shooting the breeze until his beer was all gone……..interesting experience 2500 miles from home.
I have a similar story (actually two).
I had re-connected with a friend from HS, and we were going on a trip somewhere together. She was driving and I was in the passenger seat. We were talking about stupid shit, and I go "I'm actually more like my moms side the family than my dads" and I mentioned my moms maiden name.
She, as she's driving goes "THE FUCK!?" and smacks me across the chest.
Being a little confused, I go "um, wha?"
she responds with "how do you know that name!?"
"Um, I just said, it's my moms maiden name"
"do you know so and so same last name?"
"Yeah, that's my cousin."
"Holy shit, she was my best friend in college!!!!"
Turns out she was in my cousins wedding party (i didn't go, but I had a picture form it).
The other story is kind of funny because it's related to this one. I think I've told
@Nannerbee this story before too.
Anywho, I'm visiting a friend of mine who I've known since I was in the 6th grade. We're at her house at the beach, and her mom is visiting her. I had told my friend about the other story (she knew the friend), and said to tell it so her mom.
Thinking this is strange, I go into the story.
and when I name drop my moms maiden name, she turns white and goes "do you know William (last name withheld due to privacy)? "
"Well, I have an uncle Billy (last name), my moms uncle"
"holy shit! I worked with him!!" (I don't remember where, might have been the coast).
"Yeah, he's my grandfathers younger brother"
Then she goes "do you know David (last name withheld, but a relatives last name)?"
"Yeah, that's my moms cousin. Billy was his uncle too. His mom was my grandfathers and Bills sister"
"He was my boss for a while too!"
So it's funny that someone I went to middle school and high school with, knew people on my moms side of the family, but we didn't know it at the time. And then someone else I went to HS with knew a cousin of mine on my moms side of the family.
But it gets weirder. Through an old job I had, I got to be friends with this woman. We became friends with each other on FB, and I noticed that she was friends with someone with the same last name as my mothers maiden name. So I message this person and ask if they're related to someone that we would both be related to, and turns out we are related. But whats funny? When I was about 11, my mom and I went to her families reunion in Calgary, with my grandparents. And one of the peoples houses that we stayed at was actually her grandfathers farm up there. She was at the reunion (probably was about 3-4 years old?) too.
Her mother passed away, and her family ended up moving to Salem. Coincidentally, where my grandparents lived (in all my years visiting my grandparents there, we never heard about there being other relatives in the city).
Her brothers name is Ryan (same last name). I also have a cousin named Ryan (same last name). They look like they could be twins.
Her fathers name? Ed. My grandfathers name? Ed. They don't look like twins, mostly because my grandfather was 30 years older.