“It turns out that the pool/river/tub that we live in
is far smaller than it seems. The culture of the place we work, the vibe of the
community where we live. It’s all more connected than we realize.”
This reminds me of the “six degrees of
separation” theory where “all people are six, or fewer, social connections
away from each other. As a result, a chain of "a friend of a friend" statements can be
made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps.”
Years ago, I was on a Caribbean cruise and happened to meet
this lady on the deck who looked familiar. She happened to be a parent of one
of my students!
When we were in China years ago, a man called out to my husband
in the lobby of the hotel. We found out that he lived in our town and
recognized us.
While in Italy, we were on a public bus talking to another
couple visiting Italy. They didn’t live in our state but they happened to know
our friends who lived in our town.
So, when we have a problem with someone, it is good to
remember that we may somehow be connected to them through friends and family. I
try to take the high road when necessary and bite my tongue when I want to
respond in a nasty way. It never hurts to remember that I respect myself and I
don’t need to lower myself to their level.
My mother always told me not to burn my bridges in order to
keep opportunities open. So, by controlling my emotions and my words, I am
keeping opportunities open.
This is an important skill to teach my students. There are
many times you want to say the things you shouldn’t but think of the future?
Will I someday cross paths with this person again? Could he/she possibly interview
me for a job? Could this person end up being my boss one day? Could this person
be related to a close friend that I have? There are thousands of possibilities of how you may end up being connected to this person!
Have you met people who were somehow connected to someone you
know? Please share.
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