Chance Encounters

For such a big city, NY's actually a small town where you're likely to run into the most unlikely people at the most unlikely places.

Take yesterday for example. I was enroute to Banana Republic on my lunch when halfway east on Houston between Hudson and Varick, I stop in my tracks to look into my downstairs neighbor's equally surprised eyes. He on his cell, me on mine, we couldn't really chat other than HEY! You work where? Me too!!! before laughing and strolling on.

Or take the countless times I've been on the F train only to run into a girl I used to play field hockey with in high school. Literally, we'd both be sitting across from one another or sit down next to one another or grab for the same pole and realize who it was.

Or how about the time I was sitting on a bench in Tompkins Square Park during Howlfest, chatting it up with the cutie I'd end up dating for a bit, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the one love I'd had at that point since moving to NY standing not four feet to my left. (The love I hadn't seen in nearly two years since the returning of what was still left at one another's apartments. ) Within the minute it took to get over my shock and decide to say hello, he walked into the crowd and disappeared.

And yet, you can live blocks from someone and never know it. Case in point, at my ten year reunion last year I found out that a girl I was friendly with in high school lived within a ten minute walk from me in Brooklyn. Better example? I got a random friend request on MySpace. It was from a girl I hadn't seen since middle school. Turns out she also lived in Brooklyn and currently was working four blocks from me in Manhattan.

So, keep your eyes peeled, dear readers. You never know who'll be right around the next corner.