You may have played “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” a wildly popular trivia game in the ‘90s. But even as far back as the 1920s, a short story by Hungarian author Frigyes Karinthy explored the whole notion that his protagonist using no more than five individuals, one of whom is a personal acquaintance, could contact any person in the world using nothing except the network of personal acquaintances.
These days social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook make that concept commonplace (my younger friends would say, “Duh!”). But I’m a small town girl at heart so moments when my worlds collide are still sources of amazement. Three quick examples:
· On a Tuesday evening, I hear that a woman who attends my church (that I don’t even know!) is headed to Qatar to open a branch of a cupcake store that is a big hit in Reston, VA. On Wednesday, I’m having dinner with a group of friends, including one who mentions she’ll be traveling to Qatar in mid-May (she’s the rock star of coaching women entrepreneurs in the Middle East). I make the email intro, they connect, and on her trip Mary Mac coincidentally visits the center where the cupcake store is going to be. She briefs the local businesswomen’s association and they are ready to help when the cupcake store manager arrives to set up shop later this month.
· Some friends requested oncologist recommendations via a fairly large email list. Initially, I think I won’t intrude because I’m sure they’re getting lots of feedback but then decide to send a quick note giving a shoutout to the practice that we used (and loved). They got lots of suggestions, but I learn that their family doctor recommended the same practice. Confirmation from two completely unrelated sources sealed the deal for them.
· Over the weekend, a friend posted a Facebook status about her son’s upcoming week at horse camp at a YMCA in Kentucky. My spidey sense keeps telling me there’s a connection of some type. Finally, I realize my niece’s fiancé is the executive director of that Y and that Steph wouldn’t automatically think of a Collins’s connection—why would she since I almost didn’t? Two texts and a Facebook message later, they knew about each other and met face-to-face bright and early on the first day of camp.
Don’t think I’m bragging about these connections. It’s not because of my vast network.Heck, I’m at the bottom of the list when it comes to numbers of FB friends, LinkedIn connections or Twitter followers (although I say I'm all about quality over quantity) and my Klout score doesn’t even register. There are plenty of folks I’ve been around for years who don’t ever (!) remember my name, no matter how many times I’m introduced (but that’s another post for another day).
All of these connections happened without a single phone call. I emailed and texted and posted on Facebook at strange hours of the day and night and didn’t twist a single arm. My only claim to fame is that I AM the daughter of a man who can ask three questions and figure out a mutual acquaintance, no matter where you put him.
When the first one happened, I smiled. At the second one, I grinned. By the third one, I laughed and just acknowledged that the world is small and filled with pretty wonderful people who are usually willing to help if they’re asked.
Now it’s your turn…..ever made a connection that bested Bacon’s or Karinthy’s six degrees?
I am very impressed.
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