How we meet people is random. How we meet people who have the same name is even more random.
Recently talking with a friend about this subject, we discussed how you get thrown into a room with a college roommate, and often become friends for life. Who would have thought that beforehand? “Oh, when I go to college, my roommate and I will be friends for the next 50 years. I can just feel it.”
No. Instead, you go to college not knowing what to expect. You don’t know if you’ll like each other. You don’t know if you’ll stay in touch after you graduate, if you graduate. It’s fascinating to consider how people are thrown into our lives, and whether we keep those people close to us over the years.
I met my namesake Dave Simon over 30 years ago. It’s a good story.
At the time I was a journalist in Washington, D.C. I reported on EPA, and spent time in the building interviewing officials, digging up reports, going to press briefings and researching issues. Part of that meant spending time in the EPA docket room to look at proposed regulations and the comments on them.
During the first year or two in that job, I heard a woman who worked there say over the phone, “Hey, we’re meeting Dave Simon this weekend. Want to come with us?” Something like that anyway. It was the name that made me stick around.
As she hung up, I said, “You know a Dave Simon? That’s my name.”
“Yes, we went to school together,” she replied, elaborating on the school, what Dave did for a living and that he played in a local men’s baseball league. I didn’t think much of any of this until I began playing in the league as well. There are a lot of Dave Simon’s in the world, so maybe I was destined to meet one.
At some point after that, during infield practice for our team in the league, I heard someone from first base yell across to me, “Hey Dave.”
“What?,” I responded.
“Not you. I mean Dave Simon,” he yelled back.
“That’s me,” I said, looking around, then realizing Dave Simon was right next to me, fielding grounders and shooting them over to first. We laughed, shook hands, introduced ourselves, and a long-term friendship was born.
Having the same name doesn’t ensure you’ll get along. But there’s enough craziness in both us Dave’s to have kept us in touch over all those years since, occasionally talking on the phone, emailing and once in a great while getting to see each other in person and enjoy the face-to-face time.
We’re separated by distance, but either of us could pick up the phone and we’d sync up within minutes regarding our respective lives. Friendships are to cherish. Sometimes we may even find someone with the same name and that we have much in common.
Meeting people, even someone with your name is random. It’s not given you’ll be friends or like that person. But if you do, it’s worth keeping that person in your life. It’s one of life’s little treasures
Recently talking with a friend about this subject, we discussed how you get thrown into a room with a college roommate, and often become friends for life. Who would have thought that beforehand? “Oh, when I go to college, my roommate and I will be friends for the next 50 years. I can just feel it.”
No. Instead, you go to college not knowing what to expect. You don’t know if you’ll like each other. You don’t know if you’ll stay in touch after you graduate, if you graduate. It’s fascinating to consider how people are thrown into our lives, and whether we keep those people close to us over the years.
I met my namesake Dave Simon over 30 years ago. It’s a good story.
At the time I was a journalist in Washington, D.C. I reported on EPA, and spent time in the building interviewing officials, digging up reports, going to press briefings and researching issues. Part of that meant spending time in the EPA docket room to look at proposed regulations and the comments on them.
During the first year or two in that job, I heard a woman who worked there say over the phone, “Hey, we’re meeting Dave Simon this weekend. Want to come with us?” Something like that anyway. It was the name that made me stick around.
As she hung up, I said, “You know a Dave Simon? That’s my name.”
“Yes, we went to school together,” she replied, elaborating on the school, what Dave did for a living and that he played in a local men’s baseball league. I didn’t think much of any of this until I began playing in the league as well. There are a lot of Dave Simon’s in the world, so maybe I was destined to meet one.
At some point after that, during infield practice for our team in the league, I heard someone from first base yell across to me, “Hey Dave.”
“What?,” I responded.
“Not you. I mean Dave Simon,” he yelled back.
“That’s me,” I said, looking around, then realizing Dave Simon was right next to me, fielding grounders and shooting them over to first. We laughed, shook hands, introduced ourselves, and a long-term friendship was born.
Having the same name doesn’t ensure you’ll get along. But there’s enough craziness in both us Dave’s to have kept us in touch over all those years since, occasionally talking on the phone, emailing and once in a great while getting to see each other in person and enjoy the face-to-face time.
We’re separated by distance, but either of us could pick up the phone and we’d sync up within minutes regarding our respective lives. Friendships are to cherish. Sometimes we may even find someone with the same name and that we have much in common.
Meeting people, even someone with your name is random. It’s not given you’ll be friends or like that person. But if you do, it’s worth keeping that person in your life. It’s one of life’s little treasures