Coincidences

Last evening we went to a glass blowing demonstration. It was really fun! There were 2 glass artists working on pieces simultaneously, and as they demonstrated each technique they would explain what they were doing and why it needed to be done that way. It was very educational and entertaining.

We met Rick & Nick there, and they introduced us to 2 other couples they'd invited: Dean & Randy and Craig & Mike. After the demonstration ended the 8 of us decided to have dinner at the Purple Parrot in Rehoboth.

After giving the waiter our orders, I asked Craig & Mike where they'd move from and they responded Woodbridge, VA. "Wow, I grew up in Woodbridge" I replied, genuinely surprised. (Coincidence #1.) Woodbridge isn't a major or well-known city like Charlottesville or Richmond. But after learning that they had moved there in 2000 I told them I had moved away from Woodbridge by that time.

Craig said that Mike was raised in DE but that he had grown up in Philadelphia. "Joe's extended family all lives in Philly" I told them. "He spent a lot of time there as a kid." (Coincidence #2.) Then Mike & Joe continued comparing neighborhood and street names where they'd spent time.

A little later the conversation shifted to work. Craig said he works from home. (Coincidence #3.) I asked Craig what he & Mike did and Craig replied that he did marketing for an insurance company. Mike said he is a stay-at-home dad to the son he & Craig adopted 6 years ago.

As we talked more about work Craig mentioned how exciting it was to have started a new insurance company back in 2001 that was such a success the company was purchased by a larger insurance company. (Coincidence #4.) "Yeah, I know the feeling" I said. "I started working for a small web conferencing company in 2001 - I was employee #5 - that also became successful to the point of being acquired by a larger company."

"What was the name of the company?" Craig asked me. "Communicast" I replied. "Oh yeah, I remember Communicast. My company used them." (Coincidence #5.)

"Really? What was the name of the company?" I asked. "Lumenos" Craig replied. "Oh my god! That is so wild!" I exclaimed. "Lumenos was my first client after joining Communicast!" (Coincidence #6.) "Yes, I remember it well. Lumenos was doing a new benefits roll-out for Intel."

"Yep, that's right. Intel was my first client after helping to start Lumenos." Craig confirmed.

"If Intel was your client, then that means we probably worked together. What is your last name?" I asked.

Craig gave me his last name and I immediately remembered it. His last name sounds common but has a very uncommon spelling, which I remembered, so I spelled it back to him.

"That's right." he confirmed. "You know, Mike worked there too back in those days." Craig told me Mike's last name, but it didn't ring a bell. Throughout the rest of the dinner I suddenly remembered the names of other people at Lumenos with whom I'd worked and would look at Craig and say the names. He remembered them all.

When we got home I immediately went to the computer and logged into my company's contact database and looked up Lumenos. Sure enough, there was Craig & Mike's names, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Out of all the places Craig, Mike, and I could have moved to, I thought it quite a coincidence that we ended up in the same small, summer resort area of Lewes, AND that we would be introduced by a mutual friend!

Drag Queen name of the day: Rhea Listick