Six Degrees of Separation

Although we never saw the movie I was reminded last week - again - of the many instances of “six degrees of separation” we have experienced. The first one was when we lived on Capitol Hill. Senator Enzi lived down the street and knew our son and his family. At our grandson’s birthday party I learned that one of my high school friends was best friends with his daughter. Another was at the Library of Congress where I worked for ten years. Our IT person was from China; his wife’s mother was best friends with the then Chinese president’s sister. My husband is from Iran; his family members married in to another family; they were all vacationing in Italy along with a family member from California; the subject of the Library of Congress came up; the family from California had a best friend whose wife worked at the library; when I learned of this coincidence I contacted the wife at the Library and we met for coffee. My sister in law taught at American University; one of my high school friend’s son was in her class; he mentioned her last name to his mother and it clicked. My sister in law took her mother to a dermatologist; the dermatologist was my high school friend. My sister in law has a brother who is a plastic surgeon; he was colleagues with my high school friend who is a dermatologist. None of these people grew up in the same city. On the surface it may not sound like much, but all I know is that if you talk long enough there may be a common connection. All you need to do is ask the right question.