Welcome to Season 2021 of the annual A - Z Blogging Challenge. Yesterday we were emphazising that Networking is an enrichment program, not an entitlement program.
Today's post is O ist for
The Odds are One in a Million
People use this when calculating their chance at winning the lottery. Cops feel that way investigating a homicide of a Jane Doe with no suspects and no traces.
Same goes for finding the proverbial needle in a haystack. Or a parking spot.
I experienced what this feels like if it actually happens.
In October 2018 we were visiting New York, New York. The city, not the Las Vegas Hotel. Huge city for that matter.
Huge as in 8.3 million citizens, almost the same as my entire home country (Switzerland).
It was our second time that we spent a couple of days at the Big Apple. The first time we were unfortunate to get four days straight of drizzle and heavier rain. Better luck this time!
I googled the best spot to photograph the Brooklyn and the Manhattan Bridge, and knowledgable people sent us to the corner of Front and Washington Street. where a Swiss acquaintance spotted us through the crowd. And if I say crowd I mean it.
It's literally where every tourist goes who wishes to snap the exact same photograph and / or walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. So yes, it is a touristy location, but so is the Statue of Liberty, Times Square or Ground Zero, and we didn't come across anybody we knew there!
I was talking about the 8+ million inhabitants. Add to that a percentage of 65 million visitors annually. Equally divided that'll be some 178'000 people every day.
But there she was, grabbing my arm, explaining "I can't believe it's you! Here?! I actually spotted your son first!"
I was so surprised I couldn't even place her. She had to tell me her name, and what I did was trying very hard to think of a Swiss person by the name of Sandra who lived in New York City. I didn't even consider she was visiting as well.
Afterwards I felt so bad. I am usually not that slow, and I am usually great at remembering names, faces and even dates of birth.
Well, anyway, it was wonderful encounter, and I was so grateful she approached us. Luckily we had the presence of mind to have our picture taken and thus capture this unique moment!
One in a million odds, right?
Have you had a similar experience? Tell me about it in the comments, and please leave the link to your post for easy visit.
PS: look closely, you can see the Empire State Building in the void between the bridge supports!
When I was a teen my parents and I were walking along a beach on the edge of the water. When we decided to turn around and head back my father realised he had a hole in his pocket and the keys to the rental house had fallen out. As we walked back a wave washed over our feet and when it rolled back, the house key was at my mum's feet! That was definitely a one in a million chance.
ReplyDeleteWow! That's crazy! And I had no idea you could frame the Empire State with the bridge. I've probably looked at tons of photos (plus I've been at the same location) and never noticed!
ReplyDeleteO is for Origami: https://www.anne-m-bray.com/blog/167689/atozchallenge-2021-o-is-for-origami
The O Shoe: https://repeatsamb.blogspot.com/2021/04/atozchallenge-2021-o-is-for-ora.html
There's a saying that if you stand in London's Piccadilly Circus for 40 minutes you will see someone you know. I think it's related to how many people pass through the area every day, but it did happen to us twice, which is pretty amazing in a city as big as London.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot framing the Empire State Building with the bridge.
I have no such encounter but I like that you did. It's strange sometimes when you haven't seen someone in a long while and then you see them on the street and you wonder if that person is really the one you remember.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day.
My A-Z posts are here.
I had a classmate whose birthday was on the same date as my parents wedding anniversary and my birthday was the same date as her parents anniversary .... strange coincidence right ? :)
ReplyDeleteMy Mom attracted this kind of random happenstance. Everywhere she went no matter how far from home, she always seem to run into somebody she knew. We used to joke about it all the time.
ReplyDeleteI think it is sometimes hard to place someone out of context.
Weekends In Maine
The only time we visited USA, my son was fiddling with the phone and lost the sim card. We landed first at JFK and from there Tampa. Now, my friend who was to pick us up was there but we were unable to contact her. We stood at the entrance where people were picking up those coming out of airport, but we did not see my friend Paula. There was no way for her to contact us or for us to contact her. Fortunately, I remembered her phone number by-heart. When I appraoched the pay phone, it completely confused me because it was so different from those we have in India. Finally a cleaning lady helped me with few coins and showed me how to use the phone. Paula was right there and when the call connected I could her through the phone and directly as well which confused me for a moment before I spotted her walking right past me... LOL. It was scary and funny at the same time for us to lose our sim card when traveling outside India for the first time.
ReplyDeleteyes, New York is crowd even compared to my southern state of USA .... you are lucky to meet your "fellow" in such city of New York.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend
Wow, what a coincidence. Really cool looking bridge too!
ReplyDeleteWhen things like this happen it makes us wonder, well I wonder
ReplyDelete