Connectedness
I had a very interesting experience recently on Facebook. Facebook has this feature where I can find people who are friends with two or more of my friends. The thinking is that if there is someone who knows a collection of my friends, then probably I know that person too. This theory falls short when it comes to family members, but as far as friends, it has been very helpful in finding them from different kinds of connections.
So a few months ago, a person was recommended to me (by Facebook) who connected with two friends of mine. ow the interesting thing about this connection, once removed, was that these two people that were connected to this person were fron two very very different eras of my life and two ery different geographical locations.
The two friends this guy was connected to were Jennifer Yost and Zac Normandin.
This may not seem very interesting to you, but allow me to explain. I grew up with Jennifer in Fremont, Ohio (pop. 16,000) Our parents worked together and the Yosts went to our church.
Jennifer was a few years younger than me, but we always got along and were friends. She was closer to my sister Amie than me however. We basically knew each other from 1985 – 1993. From what I can gather, Jennifer now lives somewhere in the midwest between Detroit and Chicago.
Fast forward 10 years. I had moved to Massachusetts and was working at the church I’m currently at, and then I took a job part time teaching at a Christian school up here. Zac Normandin was one of my students. He now lives in Manchester, New Hampshire with his wife.
So the person who connects them lives in Tampa, Florida and when I asked him via Facebook message how he knows them both, he simply said that a mutual friend connectd them all. Fascinating.
All this to say that the world is getting smaller, and I love every minute of it.
In honor of this, let’s play a game. I’m going to pick 10 people randomly on my facebook account, and I’d like to see how many of them you know.
Alicia Walton Parsons
Rachel O Connor
Edward paek
Steven MacArthur
Mark Salyer
Chris Destratis
Karla Bell Totten
Dee Dee Huey
Amy Lula
Steve Francis
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Alicia Walton Parsons – of the Alicia Parsons project? Negative.
Rachel O Connor – in the biblical sense
Edward paek – I think so, an asian guy named Ed. Yes, we went to Moe’s once.
Steven MacArthur – also biblically
Mark Salyer – perhaps we’ve met once…
Chris Destratis – I’m assuming Jay’s life partner?
Karla Bell Totten – nope. But Totten is a form of the word ‘die’ in German.
Dee Dee Huey – only heard the name often
Amy Lula – you better believe it
Steve Francis – no. But why does he have two first names, and one is a woman’s? You can’t trust someone with two first names.
you know i know DD. Alicia Walton Parsons–from PCC? That’s about it. I find crazy connections all the time on facebook. I can’t believe the people that know each other that I know!
I don’t know any of those people.
Totten and Salyer
ps facebook is the devil’s tool.
I know Dee Dee Huey. One of the the two best daughters in the world!
Several decades ago, they did that experiment. They chose a bunch of people at random on one side of the country. They asked a bunch of people elsewhere to try and get the letters to the people. The idea was that the two groups did not know each other, so they sent these letters to people who would be in some way closer to the target.
They found that it took about 6 passings of the letter to get it from point A to point B. This is where the term “6 degrees of seperation” comes from.
Your post makes me wonder: how many degrees of seperation are between us all now?
And why don’t we feel closer and more connected, as a society, as a result?
Hey Mike,
Nice guess but I’m not quite Jay’s life partner. I’m his brother
Mark Salyer – my basketball coach in High School. I was lucky to play with his wife Lynn in High School too. She was awesome.
Karla Totten – hard for me to use her first name. All teachers and personnel at TCA had to be called by MR. and/or MRS. So, I know Mrs. Totten when she was the secretary for TCA and her Husband MR. Totten was my High School teacher!
Good Ole TCA! Good Times.
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