In 2020, Rota had round 3,400 residents. Saipan counted about 50,000. Guam, roughly 168,000. Japan? 124 million. And India—greater than 1.46 billion folks unfold throughout a landmass of 1.27 million sq. miles. That’s about 1,275 folks per sq. mile. You may drop a coconut and simply bonk three or 4 of them on the noggin.
Since 1975, across the time I used to be born, the Earth’s inhabitants has greater than doubled—from 4 billion to over 8.2 billion.
Guam alone grew from about 99,000 souls to what it’s at this time. It makes you marvel: what are the chances of operating into somebody on this large, spinning ball of humanity?
Statistically, Uncle Google says the chances are roughly 0.00417%. Slim. Yet one way or the other, I preserve beating them.
Once, whereas snorkeling in a spring in central Florida, I surfaced beside a person who occurred to be from Boston. Turns out, he lived subsequent door to a soldier I’d served with years earlier.
I’ve met friends-of-friends, household of buddies, and even long-lost colleagues in my worldly travels. These coincidences have adopted me by means of almost 50 international locations.
Another time, in southern Germany, I used to be having lunch with my (then) fiancée within the shadow of Munich’s Twelfth-century St. Peter’s Cathedral. As was widespread, we shared a desk with strangers. In German, I requested, “Entschuldigung, ist hier Frei?” or “Is this seat free?” She smiled and with out pondering, she answered in English, “Why yes, you just help yourself.”
Recognizing her southern belle accent, I switched languages and requested the place in Georgia she was from. Her eyebrows lifted in disbelief. As it occurred, her son, a U.S. Army veteran, had married a Belgian lady and was dwelling in Germany. Small world, proper?
Then, as destiny would have it, he informed me he co-owned considered one of America’s oldest bike racing sanctioning our bodies. My brother had raced for them the yr prior. The man knew him, had even spoken to him weeks earlier.
What are the chances?
It occurs nearer to dwelling, too. Back in Alabama, my earlier neighbor and I, after sharing our U.S. Army experiences, found that we shared a mutual pal from Louisiana. His pal was finest buddies with considered one of my buddies; each additionally served within the Army in Afghanistan collectively and even dated the identical lady in highschool.
A few weeks in the past, in a Houma, Louisiana grocery retailer, an worker serving to me discover a product requested the place I used to be from. When I stated “Guam,” he requested if I knew a touring nurse named Lisa. I laughed and informed him I truly knew two of them.
One of them, because it turned out, was his pal from his hometown, Houma. Now I’ve promised to freeze and convey with me a bit of Cajun consolation meals again to Guam for her. Sometimes, on this huge world, nothing beats the style of dwelling.
Sometimes, we are able to go months on Guam with out bumping into anybody acquainted. Yet out within the extensive world, we encounter lovely connections in probably the most unlikely locations—throughout oceans, languages, and lives. All it takes is an easy phrase, a query, or a pleasant smile.
It’s the artwork of dialog; a ability we’re shedding to textual content bubbles and display time. But once we open our mouths (politely), we regularly open doorways.
Aboard my ship lately, I met a person from Bayou Black that runs by means of Houma. We found a mutual pal on Guam, a Mr. S. Butler. Last week, I crossed paths with an engineer from Guam now dwelling in Washington State. He’s an islander by start; I’m an islander by adoption. Thanks to Guam, we have been prompt buddies/chelu.
And only a few days in the past, whereas passing by means of airport safety in Houston, I locked eyes with a TSA officer who observed my spondylus necklace. She smiled. I noticed her island roots. Almost in unison, we stated, “Håfa adai!” She was proudly from Saipan.
Coincidences? Maybe. But I wish to assume the world is smaller than we think about; stitched collectively by shared locations, acquainted faces, and the braveness to talk first. Because if we don’t keep open, if we cease speaking, cease connecting, we’d simply miss the magic hiding in plain sight.
In different phrases, we is likely to be committing the error of, “Ne pas laissez les bons temps rouler,” or not letting the great occasions roll.
Until subsequent time, keep speaking and keep coconutty!