I wanted to go home to Provo for the October General Conference during my freshman year at Ricks College. Since I didn't have a car, and didn't have any friends with cars going the same direction, I opted for the Ride Board. A few days before Conference Weekend, a young newly married couple called and offered me a ride to Provo. Their names were Joel and Carrie, and they were very nice. Everything was arranged and on Friday evening we headed out.
We got to talking on the drive down -- you know, the basic introductions and such. It turned out that Joel was from Portland, Oregon and Carrie was from Vancouver, Washington (just across the Columbia river from Portland). I told them that my mom grew up in Portland, so we carried the conversation further.
Joel: What high school did your mom go to?
Me: David Douglas
Joel: Oh really? My mom went to the same high school. What's your mom's name?
I told him and thought, huh, small world. But since I didn't know enough about my mom's growing up years to talk any more about it, that conversation dwindled and then died all together.
The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful. I think I slept most of the way. Before they dropped me off at my house, we arranged a time for Joel and Carrie to pick me up Sunday evening to head back to Rexburg.
I had an enjoyable weekend with my family. I had a chance to catch them up on all the adventures I was having away at college (which to me weren't incredibly exciting, but, being the oldest and therefore first to go away to college, everyone else thought it was novel and consequently quite thrilling). I also told my mom about the fact that my ride's mother grew up in Portland and attended the same high she did. That interested her, but since the conversation in the car didn't last very long, neither did this one with my mom.
My mom's brother, Uncle Joel, was in town for Conference as well, as he had been for the past few Conferences. He'd come from Minneapolis where he was serving as a stake president. He was also interested in the fact that my ride's mother and he attended the same high school.
When Joel and Carrie came to pick me up Sunday evening, the whole family, including my mom and Uncle Joel, had been chatting in the living room. While I gathered up my things, Joel and Carrie sat down to join them. Uncle Joel, eager to get to the bottom of this we-attended-the-same-high-school -as-your-mother business, pressed Joel for more information. When Joel told everyone his mother's name, my mom and uncle got very excited. Joel's mother had been their regular babysitter as they grew up!
We all laughed for a while and remarked at the small-worldness of it all until suddenly Joel said to my uncle, "You said your name was Joel, right?" My uncle nodded. "Because I think I'm named after you." Turns out that Joel had been named for some stinker-of-a-kid his mom used to babysit.
Well, that just did everyone in. This was too much. We couldn't control our amazement. And we still can't control our amazement. This story has become a favorite in our family. No one has beaten the small-worldness of it yet. Who knew a random ride from the Ride Board could be so....connecting?
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