Chance Encounters

in-too-deep · Apr 27, 2016

Doing a little catching up and I read the chance encounters thread. Thought I'd share one if you don't mind. I used to work at a New Holland dealership. My wife and her dad used to do a lot of business when they farmed in that area. One day I walked out to the shop and there sat the NH 8360 tractor they used to have. I had made some hay and fed a lot of round bales with it. Walked around it a couple times and sat in the seat just for old time's sake. Looked across the shop, and lo and behold... there sat the NH 8260 they owned before the 8360. Two tractors from the same owner sitting in the same shop with new owners years later. One was in for an inspection, and the other was getting fixed up for trade-in I think. Thought that was pretty special.

Another day, there was a New Holland 660 round baler sitting on the lot. Looked really familiar so I looked up the serial number in the system, and sure enough, it was the same baler we used to have. Would've bought all 3 units if I'd had the money.

Dick2 · Apr 27, 2016

When I was flying back and forth across the country, it worked out that I could pick up one of my nieces in Fargo and have her fly back with me to spend time with our kids. The flight made a stop in Denver before continuing. A guy that I knew came onboard and stopped to shake my hand. My niece looked real funny at me because I knew someone on a plane full of strangers. It took her awhile to adjust to that.

Goose · Apr 27, 2016

My wife and I were sitting at a gate at Midway Airport in Chicago several years ago with about an hour's wait before boarding. We were just sitting there watching people. I commented to my wife that by the law of averages if we sat there long enough, sooner or later someone we knew would walk past. Five minutes later, a couple we know well and who are members of our church walked up.

Actually, when I was in the Marine Corps it was startling the number of people I knew, or had ties to, that I met in off the wall places.

Sitting in the mess hall once at MCAS Cherry Point, NC I got to talking with a guy sitting across the table from me. He was from an adjoining county from my home, and we figured out we'd played high school football against each other.

Another time, I was walking through the hangar bay on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and ran into a guy I knew as a teenager. He was a pilot in another Marine squadron.

And the list goes on. Even overseas.

dhermesc · Apr 27, 2016

A few years back I was driving back from Oklahoma to Kansas and stopped at an auction in Bartlesville just to pass some time. They were selling some silver coins and I bid them up buying a few. An older gentleman saw what I was bidding on and said he had a few he'd like to sell. Talked for a bit and gave him my business card. He looked at my name and asked if I knew - and said my dad's name. I said yeah, I'm his 7th son. He then went on to tell me about how he had served in the army with my dad and how they took turns driving to Chicago from Kansas City when they were stationed there together (where my dad was stationed after he returned from Korea). Asked me how he was doing and was shocked when I told him he'd been dead for 30 years.

Tom OConnor · Apr 27, 2016

Several years ago my wife got a summons to report for jury duty and she called the number on the ticket and asked if she could have it extended from March to sometime in the month of May. The lady was real nice and told her that would be fine. April comes around and we were in San Diego, California, two thousands miles away. We are standing outside a nice restaurant waiting for the valet to bring our car and we get talking to three people who are also waiting for their car and find out that the lady next to us was the same lady who extended my wifes jury duty summons. I have known her husband for years but had never met her. Small World.

My brother was in Singapore one time and ran into his wife's best friend's husband. Problem with that was the fellow was with a different woman and not his wife. Wouldn't you think that half way around the world you would be safe. One can spend a lifetime creating a good reputation and destroy it in a matter of minutes.

MN valley man · Apr 27, 2016

I was a teacher at our local school for 30 years. Every Halloween the local AFS unit would sponsor a get-together for all AFS students in southern Minnesota. These guests would partner with a local student during the Friday preceding Halloween and it was interesting to visit with them. One guest happened to be from Norway, spoke excellent English, and knew math well.

A year later my late wife and I served as chaperones for a youth singing group who visited Norway, and we were hosted by a surgeon and his wife. Later that evening their teenage daughter invited some of her friends for a small party. The second person to enter the room was the very young woman who had visited by math classroom a year before!

Tom in TN · Apr 27, 2016

Both my mother and my father had previous marriages before they married one another. They had each had sons by their previous marriages. My father had lived in Pennsylvania, my mother had lived in Ohio. My father left PA after his divorce and never went back.

Each of my two half-brothers were Navy Aviation Machinist Mates during WW2. They met one another, by chance, for the first time, when they each were sent to Class "A" school at the same time, someplace in Kansas. They became life-long friends.

Tom in TN

GVSII · Apr 27, 2016

Small world for sure.While I was in the USAF and stationed in France and TDY to Rhine Main Ger.I ran into a guy I went to high school with.When he left the AF and went into the NYSP and worked with my father until my dad retired.Years later when I was on vacation in Malone ,from Long Island,NY he pulled me over for a traffic stop,realized it was me and sent me on my way.Another time, again TDY from France,this time in Turkey,ran into another guy from H/S who was TDY from a SAC base in the states.A few months later during deer season,My father was in camp,heard voices ,opened the door and it's this guy and his brother.They stopped in for a visit.Dad says" you're supposed to be in Turkey".Guy says "Nope,done with Turkey,left."Another guy I worked with on Long Island and I were in the same squadron at the same time and didn't know each other.I've run into relatives in odd places too

Leroy · Apr 27, 2016

No stories but a request. Those initals you are using a lot would know what you are talking about but there are a lot like me that have no idea what you are talking about, also only can guess at some of place locations.

coshoo · Apr 27, 2016

I was getting on a plane in Seattle, and the flight crew was walking down the loading chute in front of me. I thought the one pilot sure looked a lot like my airline pilot neighbor, at least from the back. At just that moment, I got a tap on the shoulder from the guy behind me. It was my pilot neighbor, who I thought was in front of me.

Another time, I had just enrolled at University of Washington, and was in the student union lounge. Spied a guy across the room who was a former fraternity brother at a different college. Went over to say hi, and as he started to introduce me to his girlfriend, she laughed, and said "No introduction needed- he's married to my sister." They eventually married, but it didn't turn out well.

Moonlite37 · Apr 27, 2016

I also dislike abbreviations although I understand many of the military ones. My early assignment was Assistant Service Supervisor. I really like this impressive title until allover the shop they started using the abbreviation. I could remember them saying."Better tale this up with the A___". or "I want to speak to the A___"

omahagreg · Apr 27, 2016

2 years ago this month we were in Washington DC. We were walking out of the national zoo towards the metro station when suddenly 2 people were waving feverishly at us from in side a tour bus. Sure enough, we go to church together in Omaha!

1970-1655 · Apr 27, 2016

Many years ago, I was on a flight to Dallas in route to my first permanent base in the Air Force. As we were leaving Atlanta, the flight crew always does the safety speech. A stewardess came up from the rear of the plane and was standing next to me. I recognized her as the older sister of a girl I went to school with. We talked most of the flight. Weather caused us to miss the connecting flight and she had 8 hours before her next flight so we sat in the lounge and talked. When she got back home, she drove out and talked with my parents most of Sunday afternoon. Haven't seen her since. After I got out of the Air Force, I went back to a factory job and her sister, the one from my class, worked in the office there and she would tell me some about her sister.

oldsarge · Apr 27, 2016

I got one I know you ain't gonna believe; My wife has half brothers and sisters she didn't know she had until she was sixty(her oldest son found 'em playing with some of the geneology forums).She went to visit an aunt in central Illinois when a sister would be visiting.She then realized her sister had waited on her at a fabric/craft store in Edmond Ok when we were stationed at Tinker AFB just before I retired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chance Encounters

in-too-deep

Well-known Member

Dick2

Well-known Member

Goose

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dhermesc

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Tom OConnor

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MN valley man

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Tom in TN

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GVSII

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Leroy

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coshoo

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Moonlite37

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omahagreg

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1970-1655

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oldsarge

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