Mary and I went out on her birthday to our favorite restaurant here in Wiesbaden, Germany. We met our friends there: a local expat American couple; the wife (patty) works for Opel – the GM sub in Germany. During dinner, a large group of men showed up and our friends immediately recognized them as some of the worldwide managers who were meeting that week at GM. As they walked by our table, Patty waved to one of her colleagues she knew from the USA and began to introduce him to her husband and Mary and me.
As I stood up to shake hands, Patty introduced him: Jerry Piecuch. We both stood and shook hands and stared in a trance. Just then Mary said: “Jerry? Pete, that’s Jerry, Jerry Piecuch!” Jerry immediately recognized us and my mind was still reeling in the years until it finally clicked…
Jerry lived in a house with me and other friends from Notre Dame high school in Champaign, IL. I have not heard-of nor seen Jerry since I left Champaign in 1978! 32 years later, he walks into a small restaurant halfway around the world, and happens to know the people we are sitting with who we’ve only known for a few months. There were at least 20 GM guys at this restaurant. If he hadn’t said hello to our friends, we might not have even realized he was sitting in the same room with us.
Jerry is now living and working in Shanghai for GM. Within minutes of us seeing each other, Mary and I were on the phone with Joan, his wife and yes, original girlfriend from Marillac High School near Chicago who would often come to visit the house in Champaign, just like Mary used to do!
There must be a name for this... karma, serendipity, absolutely unreal coincidence.
Small world indeed.
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Wow, what a great story! You are right, it could only happen there/here?.....I love it! Mary, what a great birthday gift, to be united with familiar faces from the past! Did you miss the american movie that night then? Hope you are both doing well, we will miss you this Hobo Day.
ReplyDeleteSee you in November!
Love Fred and Bren
What a great story! Like Brenda says it could only happen there/here! Our October days have been lovely and we hope it holds for Hobo Day. "Peace, Love and Hobos" is this year's theme. Peace and love sounds like you, dear Mary!
ReplyDeleteCheers from Brookings,
Pat
Haven't checked your blog for a while- what fun!! what a fabulous life you are having!! like knowing someone in a book ! how great- Happy Birthday on the 15th I announced your birthday at our house as it is our son-in law's birthday too!!
ReplyDeleteHi Kids...I posted earlier but its not here...
ReplyDeleteLove that story. My neighbor's son is at his first year at U of I and just bought the old man tickets to see Bob Dylan there...some things never change!
Keep writing - it all sounds so romantic from here!
love,
sister kate