|
It's a small world afterall |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Written by Donovan Henderson - View Profile
|
|
Tuesday, 29 May 2007 |
|
|
|
|
It's not an uncommon experience once you pass that momentous point in your life — age 30 — that you have "small world" experiences. (It may even happen in your 20s, too, but I don't remember. That's what happens once you enter your fourth decade.)
Anyway, these small-world moments come out of the blue when you meet someone new and discover your lives' paths have crossed — either through another person, a place, an event.
My mother recently found out that a neighbor of hers in Cortez, Colo., is from the same small town she is in eastern Montana. They knew many of the same people. Heck, this woman, who is much other than my mom, even lived on the same block as my grandparents. That's cool stuff.
I recently experienced something similar.
Every week in the print version of NEXTnc, the staff answers a question of the week. In a recent issue, we asked "What is your worst concert experience?" My answer referred to a Pat Benetar concert at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. I won't tell you the year, but it was during the height of her popularity, so that should give you some idea. Some concert-goers behind us were drunk, couldn't handle their drink, and proceeded to puke all over the floor. As a middle-schooler, that was my initiation into the world of drunken idiocy.
Well, in short order, Melissa Evans, community relations manager for Mosaic of Northern Colorado in Loveland (a great organization that serves people with disabilities), e-mailed me that she, too, was at the same concert. I had met Melissa a few weeks earlier at a directors meeting of many of the nonprofits in Larimer County.
She was surprised to find someone who had even heard of Fort Hays State, her alma mater. I was shocked, of course, to run into someone who had been at the same show. It seemed hard to believe, but as we exchanged e-mails, it became clear that that was the case.
My best friend's mom chaperoned us to the concert; Melissa's parents took her. I lived in Russell, Kan., at the time, which is about a half hour drive east on Interstate 70 from Hays. You might have heard of Russell during the 1996 presidential race. The Republican nominee and eventual loser to Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, is from Russell. But this isn't the only political twist to this small-world, small-town story. Read on.
Melissa's uncle was Amos Morris, longtime basketball coach at Russell High School. His wife, Esther, was my sixth-grade English teacher. I vividly remember sitting in Mrs. Morris' class, seventh hour, and having Amos — of course we called him Mr. Morris — come into the classroom to tell us that President Reagan had been shot. (Yikes, I'm really dating myself now.)
For those of you not up on your history, Reagan was hit, but it wasn't a seriously wound. Other members of the president's detail were also wounded, including press secretary James Brady, who was shot in the head and paralyzed by John Hinckley's stray bullets. The Brady Bill (now a law), which places restrictions on the purchase of firearms, was named for Brady.
So that's my small-world experience, full of all the intrigue of a spy thriller — a presidential assassination attempt, a U.S. senator, failed political campaigns, a hottie rock star, booze, rock ’n'roll, Russian double-agents, military coups in Fiji... (Fine, I made the last two up. I just wanted to add a little spice to the story.)
Although, looking back on this, I think it's a pretty good story as it is.
And it's another reminder that those small-world experiences come at you when you least expect it. | |
Fun Read!
Written by Melissa on 2007-05-30 13:28:40
We had such a good time reading this entry! My dad especially liked reading what you wrote about Uncle Amos. I had no idea that our story had so much intrigue--ha! Thanks for the trip down memory lane! | examples
Written by BriansBLog on 2007-05-30 10:37:01
My Seeester, almost 40, went to visit my grandfather in Moab Utah a few months ago. He always enters a Chili Cook-off and they were sitting at a long row of tables chomping some chili. My seeester started talking to a nice old lady next to her. After talking for a whiLe, they come to find out that it was hers, and mine Kindergarten teacher from Longmont Colorado, back in the earLy 70's. What are the odds of going out of state to a small chili cook off, and sitting down next to your kinderfarten teacher from 35 years ago? It's a smaLL worLd after aLL. |
Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
Dono (15)
Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. |
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
| | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
