Small world after all...

I love connections.  Not the kind that get you anywhere.  The kind where one part of your life is mysteriously and surprisingly linked to some other part.  Three of my favorite connections were in play this past week.  I guess the connections are connecting...


Connection # 1 - Jana and Richard Hunter

Rob, Jana, Emily, Richard, and Claire

I met Jana through a Society of Children's Book Writers (SCBW) conference long ago.  So long ago, they hadn't yet added the I for Illustrators to their acronym.  As I was leaving the conference, I saw a note taped up to a door, wanting to know if anyone in the San Fernando Valley wanted to form a critique group.  I signed up, as did 4 (or ?) others and thus was born our wonderful group.  The group is now defunct and I'd be hard pressed to tell you the names of everyone in it.  But Jana was the one lifelong relationship I gained from that experience.

Jana (Novotny) was originally from England.  She'd married an American, Richard Hunter.  Richard was an architect who had worked with Richard Neutra.  They had a son, Christopher, who was also known as "Big Chris" to distinguish him from "Little Chris" in the babysitting co-op we were both members of.  Big Chris wasn't very big at that time.  He was only 8 or so (if I remember correctly)., but he was definitely bigger and older than my two girls.

Jana and Richard eventually moved to England, to a old stone country home in South Luffenham.  The photo above was taken in one of the adjoining fields where we used to take walks.  Claire is wearing the wellies that Jana gave her after she stepped in a puddle.  They were Big Chris' wellies and I'm not sure any present could have made her happier.

We think Jana is the best storyteller ever, and fortunately when you're around her, she not only loves to tell the stories that we adore, but she also seems to be living new stories all the time as well.  That well will never run dry.

So, here's the Jana and Richard connection.  One day Rob and I were sitting at their kitchen table in South Luffenham.  Rob had just finished being photographed for a Kodak ad which ran in trade publications.  One of us mentioned the photographer, Douglas Kirkland, and that Douglas' studio was in his home.  Turns out that home is the one Richard had designed for his first wife and himself, along with their daughter, Diana.  And that Jana had lived there for a time, after Richard's divorce from said first wife.  This wasn't any old home that Richard had designed.  This was his home.  What are the chances?

I was reminded of that connection when I was going through an old box of photos and found the one above.  It was a happy time with happy people and I'm sure that to the end of my days it will never cease to bring me joy.

Connection #2 - Mitch and the Shermans

Many moons ago I went to Mendocino Folk Dance Camp and met Mitch.  He was a member of Aman, the best folk dance troupe in the country.  I don't know if I'd yet joined Slaveja, the women's choir for Avaz, the second best folk dance troupe in the country (or so I thought).  But Mitch was definitely above my pay grade.  I was completely intimidated by his presence and by his dancing, which was phenomenally both powerful and full of grace.  Somehow we became friends.

We used to meet periodically for lunch and he would talk his liberal talk and I would talk my conservative talk.  And we still stayed friends.

Mitch moved to Northern California and thus our lunches stopped.

When she was around 10, Emily had a friend, Jennifer Sherman.  The two of them used to play with their Star Wars figurines endlessly.  And Jennifer's mom and dad became our friends.  One day they were talking about a guy they knew at Taft High School.  His name was Mitch.  Mitch?  The same Mitch?  What are the chances?

Turns out it was the same Mitch.  This was just yet another interesting connection until Julia Sherman, Jennifer's sister contacted him and mentioned my name, to see if he had any internships available.  He had no idea how to reconcile having his high school friends connected in some way with his folk dancing friend.  Soon thereafter, the Shermans had lunch with him in the Bay Area and he offered Julia an internship.

Last month, the Intersection, a legendary folk dance club in L.A., had a reunion.  Mitch came down south for it and Rob and I joined Mitch, Judy, and John for lunch.  Rob and I got to look through old Taft HS yearbooks and see the earlier versions of the friends we know and love.  We all stand in awe of that link to one another.

Since Mitch publishes books on MUSEUMS, and the lovely Emily Hummel is looking for work in MUSEUMS, Mitch offered to see if there was any one he could put her in touch with in the DC area.  Well, he ended up sending out fifteen individual emails with Em's resume attached.  Em's already had three information interviews with people on the list, and was over-the-moon excited about each one.  She also said to me, "Mom, they all really love Mitch!"

The photo above is of me and Mitch at the reunion, after some vigorous dancing on his part. 

 This connection was between two totally different parts of me - my folk dance self and my mom self.   And I really love to see my connections making more connections...


Connection #3 - Chris and Christie

Christie, with sons Bryan and Sam

This connection is special because it's a link between Rob and me.  Christopher is a long-time friend.  Did he and Rob meet on Tron?  I can't remember.  But we've known him since forever and he's like one of the family by now.  Two years ago he started dating Christie.  Chris has known Christie since forever, and they seem like as wonderful and happy a match as I've ever seen.

So, about a year ago, both of them came to a presentation Rob was giving at the Motion Picture Academy.  Jenny came too, as did Chris and Christie.  Christie told Jenny and I that she had a connection with the Kemp family.  Years ago she moved from Colorado back to DC, with the thought of going into the ministry.  She joined 4th Presbyterian Church and met Jack and Joanne and kids.  She taught Bible Study there and also babysat my cousins.

Recently she unearthed an old sock that was signed by a "gang" of young girls.  One of the names on the sock was Judith Kemp.  This was from the SOC's - "Sisters of Christ."  Judith says she remembers every name on the sock and is still in touch with a couple of them.  She speaks of Christie with nothing but gratitude for her influence on young Judith's life.

I guess this connection is a good one to end on.  There are more to speak of, but I'll leave that to another day.  Meanwhile, I guess we're all sisters and brothers, and I shouldn't be so awe-struck when I see more connective synapses revealed in my life and the lives of those around me.  But it's those connections that will probably always shock and awe me, and those connections by which I will always be humbled.