In the last two days I’ve had two unexpected meetings. Both on train stations – all a bit Brief Encounter – except both the parties I met were hairy arsed guys.
But emphasises what a small world it is. First was an old colleague who is also a stunning guitar player/musician and a world class photographer.
We had a quick natter about guitars like I always do when I meet another guitarist. His girlfriend just smiled – no doubt she’s seen it like my wife countless times before. He now lives most of his life in Manchester with a second based near me in Kent.
The second was a more off the wall meeting. I drove up to Ebbsfleet International Station today – because a) it was pouring with rain and I couldn’t be bothered to get soaked walking to the station and b) I could do we getting home quicker tonight and this can be the quickest route normally even with the stress of A2/M2 in rush hour.
I dash into the station and head for the ticket machine only for someone to grab my arm. Standing there was old colleague and friend Andy. Now Andy moved many years ago to San Diego, so to see him at Ebbsfleet on a wet Wednesday in February was somewhat unusual! He is over here still working for our old employer doing a “global” role replacing some systems that I once before in a “global” role was involved in originally implementing. Funny in my old “global” role, I had to shuttle to the US all the time as that was the seat of corporate power and also where all the suppliers were there. Now my old company has a negligible presence in the UK but most of the suppliers are actually based here now… so his “global” role has him now shuttling in the opposite direction. You have to chuckle at the absurdity of corporate cycles.
However that meeting was so lucky. If the traffic queue had been longer, or a little slower I’d have never made that train. I arrived with only a couple of minutes to get my ticket and get on it and there was Andy in the right place at the right time. Fate? Kismet? Whatever – it shows me though that the world is actually very small but more importantly there are special people for all of us in the world, we should treasure those people and them helping us enjoy our brief journey on it. I used to car share with Andy 15 years or so ago and it was a brief reminder of great days gone past.
I love when stuff like that happens. In the morning, if I walk into the subway station, down the stairs, onto the platform and straight onto a train just as the doors close behind me, it means I spent the exact right amount of time eating my bagel.
Yes, I love moments like that too! So sweet, just makes you feel good. The world can indeed feel very small at times. Mind you, I’m with comedian Stephen Wright when he says, “it’s a small world but I wouldn’t want to have to paint it”…
I hope you don’t take this the wrong way Graham, but I can’t really imagine you in a “global” role 🙂
Is that a subtle slight on my professional capabilities?… 😉
No, I just think you’re more Medway than Manhattan. 🙂
I was after 9/11 I can tell. When I finally left the old company I added up my USA Visa stamps in three different passports I think over the time there. At least 89 probably more like 92 or so but some pages the number of multiple stamps made it difficult to make them all out! When you offered your usual seat in first class by a stewardess who knows your firstname and how many kids you have – you are spending too much time on airplanes!
Well—I take it all back Graham 🙂 I didn’t realise you were, literally, a high flyer. (This reply is in the wrong place but WP likes to make things as awkward as possible).
Oh, no it’s not — it just that the composition window opens up—-oh God, I’m even boring myself now 🙂
This reminded me of two odd meetings I’ve had. One was while we were on vacay in Amsterdam. We saw one of our groups SIL strolling down the street. Then, when I went to Mardri Gras, we encountered someone we had been stationed with in Germany. It’s a small world after all.