Friday, May 05, 2006

Less Than Six Degrees

So I wrote to Diane from Healdsburg - as I was calling her - and introduced myself. I told her I really related to her post about Ten Things She Likes About Her Hometown and how I bet we probably knew a bunch of the same quilter ladies. Quilters are generally such friendly people, don't you find? And being a Blogger, I figured she'd be open to my writing to her.

I received a delightful reply and 'Yes', she belongs to the Santa Rosa Quilt Guild. She even knew where Redwood Valley is. Now THAT'S rare. Usually anyone outside of Ukiah Valley sort of glazes over and looks at you funny when you tell them you live in Redwood Valley. "Where's that?" they'll ask. "North of Ukiah and south of Willits". At that point if they still give you the glassy eye you know you'd be wasting your time to try and elucidate.

But Diane from Healdsburg did me one better. She said, "My husband works at Mendocino College, so he commutes up your way every day." *going* Her last name was in the e-mail address. I used to work at Mendocino college . I couldn't believe it. "Roger H***?? I know him!" :D

Years ago I watched that Will Smith and Stockard Channing movie... I pretty much don't remember anything about the plot except that he insinuates himself into their lives and then at one point launches into this theory he has that everyone, everywhere knows each other through "Six Degrees of Separation". You know the thing... Your friend will be telling you a story from her life and she'll mention someone in passing and you say, "Who?" and she says, "You know, Bobby... from last winter? He's my sister's roommate's boyfriend's brother's guitar teacher." Or... "She came to the meeting last week. Turns out she knows Betsy from Lakeport, who you told me you met when you went to that retreat two years ago."

How did I come across Diane from Healdsburg's blog in the first place? I'd attended a meeting of the Ladies of the Lake Quilt Guild, of which I'm a member, and they talked about a Guest Speaker coming up. Not knowing anything about that Quilt Speaker, I Googled her, wish I could remember her name now, and found a blog about her on Diane's page, Going to Pieces. Who knew that the writer of that blog would be the wife of a former co-worker at the college??

*Run sound track*
It's a small world after all. It's a small world after all. It's a small world after all...

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