Do you know the concept of “six degrees of separation“? This idea posits that any two people on Earth are six or fewer acquaintance links apart. I imagine that this assumes that our linkage is with the living but I wonder what would be our linkage if we could consider as well the departed?
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with the Institute for Cultural Communicators student interns who have been serving with us for the past five months. The conversation started with an offer I put out a week ago.
“If anyone wants to talk to me about what they’re thinking about after their internship I’d be glad to have that conversation with you.”
One of the students followed through and asked if I had time to hear his thoughts and questions about his future opportunities. As this student talked I listened. Like most students, he talked about job prospects, educational possibilities, and asked questions about serving on staff. I’d been talking earlier to another intern about her military interests and as I often do I asked this student, “Do you have any thoughts about serving in the military?” This brought about a quick no with an almost off the hand comment that his grandfather would have enjoyed seeing him serve in the Navy. Without further prompting this student went on to share that his grandfather had served in the Pacific onboard the USS Sennett in WWII.
At that point, I sat up and shot a question back to him. When had his grandfather served onboard this submarine? My father also served on board that boat. With the miracle of the internet and targeted search terms, it didn’t take long to determine that my father and his grandfather had served together!
What a thought to imagine those two men sharing the same space and fighting battles together. I’ve been trying to imagine any of the possible conversations that Tordepoman’s mate Walter Ruff and LTJG Frank Andrews might have had together during their wartime patrols.
It was a crazy thing to think – two men – one from Rhode Island and the other from South Carolina would 75 years later have their respective daughter and grandson talking together in Maryland.
I love that this discovery just started with the willingness to have a conversation. A conversation where we sit with each other long enough to uncover some unexpected links! Conversations and the connections we make through them open us to some amazing insights and beautiful bonds.
Have you ever had a simple conversation turn into the discovery of an amazing connection?
Mary, I loved this story about Dad. Have you seen Aunt Helen and Uncle Jim’s love letters? Jeff has them. Dad is featured thruout.