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. 

Six Degrees of Separation on Capitol Hill

I know it's a terrible diagram, but I made it to show the point I am about to make. Our son and family lived on Capitol Hill for ten or more years. Our grandson was born here. We moved to DC to be in the neighborhood about ten years ago. Then our family moved to Virginia almost two years ago, but we stayed here. We recently went on a visit to visit the family in Virginia and brought my sister along. She said she was in an art class. She said her teacher was all excited about a house they bought. It happened to be on Capitol Hill. The art teacher described the house more. Then my sister's ears perked up. My sister said she knew that house and the people who lived in it. And wouldn't you know, her art teacher and husband bought the house that our son and family lived in. She and her husband had a baby boy like our son and his wife did twelve years ago. Of all the art classes and house in DC, there was a connection. Today, when we walked for our usual daily walk, we saw the art teacher leaving the house we used to frequent all the time. I stopped and asked her about knowing my sister. She said - is she in an art class? And so it goes. If you talk to someone long enough, something rings a bell. 

Six Degrees of Separation - Part 2

Last summer, it was learned that a colleague of mine at the Library was connected in a very convoluted way to the fathers of my husband's brother's nieces. All of these folks are from Iran. One of the nieces lives in Sweden and the other (her sister) lives in Denmark. Their husbands are cousins (their fathers are brothers.) Another brother of these two fathers lives in California and is friends of a man whose wife works at the Library. The brothers all met in Italy and the idea that the person who works at the Library might know me was raised by our niece who lives in Sweden. I did not know her, but I investigated the possibility, and she acknowledged she was indeed that person. We never met face to face, but there is an on line directory- and we both must have looked at it because this week we met in the hall and asked if we might be Lois and Zoya. And there was the connection! The cute thing about it is that she works in the Middle Eastern Division which was relocated to my floor during a renovation. We agreed to meet for coffee and learn more about this connection. What will be even more interesting is that her friends from California will be visiting in the spring- and we are hoping to get together and see where this takes us. The main reason is because my husband is from the same city as all these brothers, and we are convinced that they must have known his brother. We actually met their grandfather there about 15 years ago because they were all in the same business as my husband's family and worked in the same neighborhood bazaar. Who would have guessed? I doubt if this would have happened anywhere else!

It's a long story- California, Iran, Italy, Denmark, Sweden & DC
are strangely connected

It's A Small World - Six Degrees of Separation

My niece, N, who lives with her husband in Sweden, was in Rome on vacation. They met up with her husband's father, and 2 of his father's brothers. One lives in Denmark and the other one lives in the US. She sent an email yesterday that described a conversation they had in Italy that shows an interesting link.

1. I have a niece, N, who is from Rasht, Iran…. her father is my husband's brother.
2. She married AG a few years ago and now lives in Lulea, Sweden
3. AG's Uncle, who lives somewhere in California, visited my niece/husband in Rome ~ 1-2 weeks ago. AG's Uncle's brother from Denmark joined them there too... his son is AG's cousin and is married to N's sister (cousins married to sisters, who are my nieces)
4. AG's Uncle from California is married to a woman named K
5. K has a friend who works in the Library of Congress… her name is Z
6. I work at the Library of Congress

I sent a note to Z to see if there was any validity to this story and this is her response:

1. Yes, I am Z
2. K's husband, Ah G, AG's uncle, is my husband's friend
3. Now, Katy is my friend, and they live in CA/USA
4. Ah G has relatives in Denmark and Sweden
5. Ah G and his wife K and family were or are in Europe for vacation
6. Yes, I work at the Library of Congress, I just started this job Feb 2010 

Very nice to meet you, I hope to see you soon! 

I think I saw her in the ladies restroom this morning, but did not have my wits about me to call her name.... now that would really be a coincidence!

Six places; six connections - and they talked about it in Rome