It's a Small World After All

My husband has a saying - "It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it." I'm not sure who actually coined that phrase, but it comes in handy a lot. Especially here in New Orleans. There have been so many instances over the past few months of this experience, I can hardly fathom where to begin. Suffice to say, the phenomenom is not going to go away; it's only going to get bigger. Er, smaller. You know what I'm saying...



To make my life easier, I'm going to start from most recent and go backwards. Some of these are just coincidences, some are because of geographical location (i.e. right place, right time) and some are just plain weird. I love when strange shit happens and worlds collide and you run into, meet up with or stumble into someone who knows someone who knows you. As my friend Silvia says, "There are only six people in the world. The rest is done with smoke and mirrors."



At my current job, there are series of boards and committees, made up of business and community leaders who have a vested interest in making Algiers a better place. One of the members who's also hip to social media requested a meeting today at a local coffee shop. No one else was told of the meeting except my boss, who also agreed to meet. There we were kibbutzing about how to increase our web presence when not one, not two but THREE other board members sauntered in for coffee. And the local representative who shares the office floor with us. And a good friend, who happens to be working on a business plan for our organization... it was much.



One of favorite neighbors hosts a "reds and rice" party every Monday. Turns out one of the regulars is one of our very good friends. He just never told us about beans and we never put it together until we mentioned his name in passing. Sure enough, he turns up on a regular basis. We get to visit at a party of a mutual friend and neighbor. Love it!

On a recent visit to Charlotte, NC I met a couple from Albana, through my friend Vesa. Her family and small circle of friends are the only Albanians I know. At my husband's gig where I met these fellow Albanians, I also ran into my old neighbor Ethan, who is NOT Albanian. Turns out he knows these Albanians too! How is that?

I know this is going to continue to happen over and over again. Now that we are all on social media, the circle is closing tighter. Take a second (ok; it takes much longer than that) and look up the friends of an interesting friend. You're surely to find someone you know, but didn't know your friend knows. Ya know?

No Explanation Necessary

There are some things that defy explanation. Some things are so strange or scary or sick, it's better to leave well alone and try something else -like laughing. That's what my poor kids are figuring out here in New Orleans. We've encountered plenty of situations that I choose not to explain or are beyond my (notice I didn't say their) comprehension.

Here are just a few:

1. At dinner last night there was a trio/duo??? playing music. It was seemingly a duo, with a hunky guitar player and an old gypsy dude playing accordion. However, there was some woman sitting with them who was playing the blackberry. She wasn't listening or contributing to the music, she was just sitting and texting. What was she doing? I couldn't think of a good explanation when the kids asked, so I just left it alone. She's the sitter, I guess.

2. On the way to the car, we passed a very strange dude sitting at a pop up table on the street doing some sort of something at a table. Why did he have a massive python beside him curled up on a chain? Why was he wearing a shirt that said "I Love My Penis"? Why was he there in the middle of the street doing nothing really? I dunno. I couldn't think of an explanation and was grateful my kids just laughed. Off the hook with that one...

3. You can't live in New Orleans and not travel down Bourbon Street. So, we traumatized/initiated our kids by walking down the infamous road one evening. Why was there a silver painted guy with his head sticking out of a silver painted baby car seat on a giant box? Why did he have weird silver baby hands/flippers? Try explaining that one!!! Just cause, is the best I could come up with.

4. Why is there a festival for any occasion? Take the shrimp and petroleum festival... any other year it would seem more strange but somehow in 2010 it works. Sad, isn't it? I love the strawberry festival, the creole tomato festival and the corn festival. Is there a gumbo festival? Yes. If there isn't one for your favorite food, make a suggestion! I'm sure this town would go for it. Why do they make up these festivals? I'm not sure but I know someone, somewhere has an explanation.

5. Why do New Orleanians keep battling the odds? How come hurricanes, floods, sky high crime rates, crooked politicians (current one not withstanding), backward laws and oil spills don't damper their spirits? That one most definitely defies any explanation other than "they are New Orleanians". You gotta live it to believe it.

What do you know that defies explanation? Tell me, please.