So, New York really is a collection of small towns. I grow more and more convinced by this everyday.
I was up in the East 50's today, delivering the baby’s passport application to the Norwegian Consulate so that we can take him to Norway as a Norwegian citizen, since he, like the other kids, has dual nationality. I had a funny exchange with the passport guy, by the way. We were discussing the intricacies of Norwegian citizenship law (I will spare you) when he told me that everyone always asks him why Norway can’t do it the way the Swedes do it. I interrupted him in mid-sentence and said: “I have been married long enough to a Norwegian not to give a shit about what the Swedes do or don’t do.” He laughed very hard.
Anyway, going up in the elevator, I noticed on the floor listings, the name of a company I sort of recalled. Turns out it was a company that a friend of mine took over after the founder, her father, died. That friend, let’s call her “L”, was someone I met many years ago taking Norwegian lessons together. See, she was also an American married to a Norwegian. We became good friends and also all four of us became friends. We lost touch after she and the Norwegian, “A”, divorced some six years ago.
So, after finishing my business with His Majesty’s Representatives, I stopped by the office, on the off chance my old, lost, friend was actually there. Well, right place and right person but she had stepped out so I left her a note. Nice coincidence, thinks I.
I decided, after the huge lunch I had with clients today, involving a sinful portion of truffled creamed spinach, I decided to walk back to the office.
On the way back, my cell phone rings. I stop to answer it, turning off Park Avenue onto the steps of a random office building to get out of the pedestrian traffic stream. There, who do I spy on the steps above me? A. L’s ex-husband. I had lost touch with him, too, you see and had otherwise no way to get into contact with him. I had been planning to ask L when I spoke to her, but, no need.
The universe is truly a random place and New York City is a collection of small villages.
Posted by Random Penseur at June 6, 2006 03:45 PM | TrackBackInteresting pair of coincidences.
Meant to be.
I'm still chuckling over: "I have been married long enough to a Norwegian not to give a shit about what the Swedes do or don’t do.”
Clever!
; )
Posted by: Christina at June 8, 2006 07:18 AMI was in NYC just the other day for the first time in years, and I marvelled over the fact that despite how big the city is and how many people there are, I was constantly watching chance meetings taking place between people who clearly know each other. It was amazing!
Posted by: She at June 11, 2006 09:06 PMI love how life is always like that. That's an awesome story.
Posted by: caltechgirl at June 12, 2006 03:43 PM