The "It's a Small World" Phenomenon

I read a 13 page paper last night written by someone I didn't even know existed, but who is almost related to me. Dr. Steven Hageman is my uncle's brother (my dad's 2nd youngest sister's husband's brother, which helps him with a point). He is a well educated, well traveled and well versed man in his late 30's I'd say who probably gave this paper to his brother who in turn gave it to his mother in law, who gave it to my dad last weekend. It's basically saying, "Yes, it IS a small world," and that there are 4 types of phenomena that people experience.

The 4 types are something to the affect of 1) running into an acquaintance (someone you recognize) at some unexpected place at some unexpected time, 2) sharing a common acquaintance or relative with a stranger, 3) sharing a common experience with a stranger then meeting them again later, and 4) some combination of the above three. And that the odds of predicting the exact "mystical" happening are slim to none, the odds of something of a "small word" experience SOMETIME in the future is VERY probable. I was very intrigued by his thinking and his "small world" stories.

First of all, he says to estimate the number of people you know... Then keep thinking about the number of people that you are just "acquainted" with, and then those you would recognize from town or church or work-whatever. This number he estimates is near the 10K mark for most people (some higher, some lower). Then think that you and the people that you know the best, or have ever known, probably share interests with you. You will probably see them somewhere that you have a common interest point (museums, conerts, conference, etc.).

Then think about everyone that you have ever known and the probability of running into a stranger that has ever known them, a teacher, an ex-girl/boyfriend's mother, an aunt, a tour guide. The possibilities are really endless.

It puts everything in to a perspective that I hadn't really thought about before, but had accepted because EVERYWHERE my father goes, he knows someone. And I mean EVERYWHERE. When we took our 2 vacations of our lives one to SD and the other to MN, BOTH times my dad saw someone somewhere that he know. I just kept thinking, Can't we take you anywhere? But this paper proves that it's not just my dad who runs into people like that, everyonw does.