Reminded just how random life is

Hm!  Today I was reminded just how random life is.

Today I walked past -- and recognized! -- someone who I worked with at my last job, and haven't seen in about five years.


But, the following convergences were required for this to happen:

-I had a blood donation appointment scheduled for the middle of the day -- but I ended up re-scheduling it because due to illness and meetings, I was the only person "on deck" in my team, and I didn't want to leave our area unattended. 

-So then I figured that since I wasn't donating blood that day, during my lunch break, I'd visit a used bookstore near the other end of downtown that I'd been meaning to visit (I hadn't been there in a while).  But I decided I wouldn't do it until my co-worker came back from her lunch break.

-While at the bookstore, I set my smartphone to remind me when it was time to leave, so that I wouldn't take too long of a lunch break.  But I was in the middle of browsing a section, so I lingered a few minutes longer than I intended to. 

-At the last minute, I saw an interesting-looking book sitting on the counter -- so I picked it up, glanced through it, and decided to get it.

-And because I decided to get it, I purchased it at the front counter -- which took a few moments.


All of these combined to make me exit the store at a certain point in time, and pass my former co-worker on the sidewalk:

-If my co-workers' meeting hadn't run long, or if my other co-worker hadn't called in sick, I would've donated blood -- instead of going to the bookstore.

-If my other co-worker had come back from lunch earlier, I would've gone to the bookstore earlier -- and not walked past the former co-workers.

-My deciding to keep browsing, and my noticing and browsing the book, and my decision to purchase it -- all put me on the sidewalk at the correct time to pass by my former co-worker.


So -- kinda neat.  A convergence of elements.


And that's how people -- some people, anyhow -- meet best friends, meet spouses, and etcetera.


--GG

nd then, as I exited the



--GG