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Coincidences (spin-off from Question/answer 2k13)

Mets – Willets Point Feb 16 2013 12:18 PM

What's the most astounding coincidence you were ever a part of? I didn't get to answer this question, but I live stories about astounding coincidences so I thought I'd start a spin-off thread to collect some more. Here's mine: My senior year of high school, I was accepted at University of Chicago and it seemed likely that I'd go to college there. I paid a deposit and in April I was invited to a prospective student weekend where I stayed in dorms with current students, attend classes, and learn more about the school. I was pretty shy so it wasn't easy to meet new people but I did end up talking with a couple of other prospective students, this guy from Texas named John who I had lunch with and I went to some classes and walked from building to building with this other guy named Shannon. The next month I got accepted to William & Mary off the wait list and making a difficult decision I chose to go there instead of University of Chicago. Fast forward to August and I'm registering for classes with other Freshman at W&M. Within the same hour, who do I run into both John and Shannon, who had also chosen to go to W&M instead of Chicago. It still blows my mind that the two people I got to know at the prospective weekend at University of Chicago had 1) also applied to W&M, 2) had also been accepted to W&M and 3) had also decided to go to W&M after initially committing to Chicago.

seawolf17 Feb 16 2013 02:06 PM Re: Coincidences (spin-off from Question/answer 2k13)

"Yeah, screw this. I'm not going to Chicago. All the other dudes in the incoming class are jerks." /gets to W&M "Shit."

RealityChuck Feb 18 2013 12:19 PM Re: Coincidences (spin-off from Question/answer 2k13)

Back in 1981, I started dating my future wife. Her last name was "Noe," very uncommon in the US. At my grandfather's funeral late that year, my grandmother started talking about her family. I hear her mention "Noe." Turns out "Noe" was my great grandmother's maiden name. I hadn't known it until then.

TheOldMole Feb 18 2013 02:22 PM Re: Coincidences (spin-off from Question/answer 2k13)

My wife, as a young woman, went out to San Francisco, fell in love, got pregnant, the guy took off and left town. So she decided to go back to her family in the east, and three days later, left San Francisco herself. She drove all day and into the night, and finally pulled off the road in a rest area to sleep in her car. When she woke up in the morning, she looked over at the car next to her, and there, also pulled over to sleep, was...you guessed it...the guy.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 18 2013 02:24 PM Re: Coincidences (spin-off from Question/answer 2k13)

TheOldMole wrote: My wife, as a young woman, went out to San Francisco, fell in love, got pregnant, the guy took off and left town. So she decided to go back to her family in the east, and three days later, left San Francisco herself. She drove all day and into the night, and finally pulled off the road in a rest area to sleep in her car. When she woke up in the morning, she looked over at the car next to her, and there, also pulled over to sleep, was...you guessed it...the guy. YOU CAD.

metirish Feb 18 2013 07:08 PM Re: Coincidences (spin-off from Question/answer 2k13)

What a coincidence , great thread with great stories.

Mets – Willets Point Mar 04 2013 09:03 PM Re: Coincidences (spin-off from Question/answer 2k13)

What a coincidence, This American Life just did a whole show dedicated to coincidence stories.