6 Degrees of MB

As my in-real life friend J says, we take people with us in life. We are the type that remember people (although she has to help me with names sometimes) but we take the history, memories and stories with us as we grow older. It is just the way we are. More frequently now, I find the older I get the more my circles of life collide. It is almost as if the world shrinks.

Some of examples of this (some with humor, some boring connections):

Degree 1: Work
I am sitting in an IEP meeting at work and in walks the school psychologist. Totally know her! It is so weird. We graduated from the same high school.

Last fall, I taught preschool. The girl that took over for me was a mom of one of my former students.

Degree 2: Dating
Turns out in college, I was the other woman for one of my boyfriends. Of course I did not know that at first (yup, stellar guy huh). Anyway, my real life friend J takes a photography class now and the 'real' girlfriend of that boyfriend is in her class. This news was probably more horrifying for the real gf, considering she is probably still tramatized from when my roommate B locked her in a room to tell her I was in the picture. Oh the college drama.

My real life friend E used to date my cousin in high school. This makes me laugh b/c he was a dog with the women. They group up in a neighboring town.

Degree 3: Friends
My real life friend D used to work with a friend of mine from high school. That 'good friend of mine' was the one that wrote on my boyfriends' yearbook that she had always wished they had been together. Surely she didn't think I was going to read the yearbook at the time. Oh the high school drama. Point is, this friend knows that friends, knows that friend, etc.

My real life friend J goes on vacation with her family last year and meets this wonderful family. Turns out, the mom is a friend I graduated with in high school. Also, one of J's good friend's through her husband's work was a friend of mine (different one) from high school. Ok, J is now an honerary member of my hs alumni.

Degrees 4 & 5: Family (growing up and kids)
My parents sold their house to a nice couple with 2 kids when they downsized (and moved next door to us). The people that live in that house have a son in cherub 3's class. Playdates at my old house? Oh, I like what you have done with the place. This is the dining room that we used to play drinking game in when M&D went away. That back door was the one D smashed with her feet as she did a handstand in the kitchen on my bday, this is where Mom practically lit the kitchen on fire, etc. Yes, I do have normal family memories, relax. I was just bringing up the funny ones.

Degree 6: Location
Hubby & I bought a cute cape at the top of a quiet street for our first house. The neighbors were nice but we thought it was quirky, everyone stayed to themselves and didn't socialize much. We now live (3 houses later) at the bottom of that same street with some new but mostly the same to themselves, quirky neighbors.

Should I go on (nah, even I am getting bored)? Basically, no matter where you go, someone in that room is either related to you, has dated you, was friends (enemies) with you or your friends/family, worked with you, whatever. There is always a story to go with it.

So, as my dad would say, don't burn any bridges. No matter which slide you take for your ride, your worlds will collide at some point. Trust me.