Do You Know the Way to San Jose . . . .

Last Thursday evening I attended the annual dinner and presentation arranged by the local legal secretaries' association to which several of the courts in the surrounding counties send lambs to the slaughter clerks to talk to us about the changes taking place in their facilities.  Of course, for the past five years or so, the clerks have mostly explained why budget cuts have led to the complete breakdown of the court system while dodging dinner rolls thrown at their heads by frustrated secretaries.

Besides myself, there were three other employees from my office.  The tables in the conference/banquet room are large and round and seat something like 10 people, so we always end up sitting with several people we don't know.   Since most of the law firms send only one or two people, it's a nice opportunity to meet and mingle with inmates law firm employees from different firms.

The tables themselves are rather crowded with plates and utensils as well as salads and desserts, so the first thing we all tend to do is lay claim to the pieces of tablewear we believe make up our place setting.  The woman to my right told me I was welcome to anything I wanted just as long as I didn't try to take her drink.  That was the ice breaker that started us talking, and we continued talking through the meal.

She works for a local firm now, but she used to work in San Jose.  Really?  Me too!  Back in San Jose, she worked for a firm whose name I recognized, and I worked for a firm she recognized.  In fact, she almost worked there at one time but decided not to take the job.  When did I work there?  I told her.  "Do you remember Ivy?," she asked.  Of course I did!  Ivy was the secretary to one of the main partners, and she had a lot to do with my training as a legal secretary.  MY boss was the associate who worked for IVY's boss.  "Well," my dinner companion said, "My best friend is Ivy's daughter."  "I know Jeanne!," I said.  Jeanne also worked at that firm and she and I were pretty good friends for awhile too.  In fact, Jeanne's daughter and Soccer Son were only about a year apart in age; they attended the same nursery school and were close friends; I even have a photo of the two of them taking a bath together when they were around 3 or 4 years old, and Hubby babysat Jeanne's daughter a couple times when we went out somewhere.

After talking our way through most of the main course, I asked my dinner companion her name; it was a name I recognized from the past, although she and I never met back then--even though I'd been over to the house she and Jeanne shared as roommates.

What are the chances of all that happening?  And to put it in perspective, San Jose isn't the next town over from Sacramento; it's about 150 miles or so away.  Besides that, there were probably a couple hundred women at the presentation--how did I end up sitting next to this particular person?  Luck?  Fate?  What do you believe causes these amazing coincidences to occur in our lives?  Before we all went our separate ways that evening, I gave the woman my email address and suggested she pass it on to Jeanne, who is now living out of state, and keep in touch herself as well.  I don't know if anything will ever come of it, but it sure brought back memories!