It always amazes me when someone talks about their singularity. Or how they “got” where they are without help from anyone. I always have to chuckle a bit about the absurdity of that notion. From the time we come out of the womb, we find ourselves in the midst of connections. Our life is one connection on to the next, an ongoing stream of interactions. It might be our dependency on another, or someone else’s dependency on us. Or it could be a mutual collaboration or a million other things.
Today’s piece is another gem by Linda Stowe. It shines a new light on our connections in this world. And sometimes, beyond.
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I Know Big Red by Linda Stowe
Every now and then I am surprised to find that I have something in common with someone. Earlier this week, the technician who handled my testing at the eye clinic said she had the same birthday as mine. She laughed at my lame joke that it probably wasn’t the same year. The testing session went smoothly and was pleasant, perhaps made more pleasant knowing we shared a birthday.
I come across these connections maybe once or twice a year, but each time they occur I am surprised. These days a common source of these discoveries comes through Facebook when I notice that someone I am friends with knows someone else whom I know in a completely different context. Most recently I discovered that my cousin Terry knew Big Red, a singer I used to see at the Forum Club in Dayton in the late ’60s. Terry grew up in Camden and then moved to Columbus for college. He still lives in the Columbus area and never struck me as the kind of guy who regularly goes to nightclubs. How did he know Big Red? When I asked him about it, he said they met through a mutual friend. A predictable answer to what was a notable curiosity. There was no secret, no mystery. The only surprise is that I had not known it.
I sit here thinking I know everything about my life, no aspect has been unexamined. But maybe if I took the time and made the effort, I would find that I have all kinds of amazing connections to the people in my life. When I first moved to Eaton, I discovered that the woman who would become my neighbor had once dated the man from Dayton whom I was then dating. Every time I run into a strand of this invisible web that connects us all, it reminds me that we are probably all connected in some way if we took the time to find out. I’m not planning to do that, but it is a good reminder to treat every stranger as if they are someone from my past or future.
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Polly here again. Here’s another funny thing. From the first I met Linda Stowe “online,” I was certain I knew her from somewhere. We have not been able to pin down the connection. But I’m still pretty sure our paths had crossed before, somehow. Maybe we will figure it out, or maybe not. But one thing is certain. I am thankful for our connection now.
I Know Big Red. By Linda Stowe
