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What's your most profound "small world" moment? (lemm.ee)

submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

66 comments fedilink hide all child comments

This refers to when two or more people encounter each other in completely coincidental fashion. You might notice your old classmate from three countries away is now your waiter in a place you had no reason to expect them in, and you might say "wow, what a small world". You might notice two people who you know from completely different spheres miraculously know each other. You might recognize by chance that your penpal has made a cameo at a venue you're at.

But what was your most profoundly coincidental encounter?

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I have a cousin who lived in and grew up in South-East Asia. I'm Canadian. A guy from my (small, rural) high school class was randomly at their wedding. Apparently they became roommates in college.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Did you marry your cousin, did she marry South-East Asia or was the guy from your high school randomly at his own wedding?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Huh, I looked hard and still don't get how this is unclear. The "their" isn't me because it's third person, and it can't be the region of South-East Asia or high school guy himself because that doesn't make sense. That should leave one possibility. Singular their is a thing, if you're unfamiliar.

I'll just clarify. My South-East Asian cousin married someone not in the story, and their college roommate, high school guy, was present as a guest, which was highly unexpected. Hilarity ensues.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Ah, singular their.
It's not that common.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

It really is. You'll never hear "someone forgot their umbrella, I hope he/she comes back for it" in real, native speech. Singular "they" has been around in that context for centuries.

Using it for a specific, know person is new. In this case it's a specific unknown person, so it's optional, but I chose to, just because it minimises personal information shared. My cousin in not nonbinary, for what it's worth.