... It extends across the Pacific.
Oh, irony. You weird, weird THing. emphasis on "th."
You may need to read through this post a little slowly, or a few times to really get all the wild irony in each instance. Not all ironic situations I find myself in get documentation. These are too weird to skip, though.
1. Last Bachelor-talk, really.for this month at least. =]
Okay.
I promise I'm not obsessed with this guy.
But you are not even gonna believe this story.
In a few recent posts, I mentioned a dream I had about The Bachelor. (Can I just say, it's been hilarious how many friends have sent me emails or messages about the new bachelor and how watching the show makes them think of me, and also how he freakishly reminds them of a former-significant-solid-buff-blue-eyed, blond-haired man I had in my life?) Anyway - here's a quick re-cap - I dreamed that Sean came to Thailand for the filming of his show and he secretly began falling for me instead of the contestants.
Well, about a week after I had that dream, a friend sent me a message to say she had just read that Sean filmed his last few episodes in Chiang Rai.
YA, I know.
I said I'd only apply for the show if I knew Sean was The Bachelor, and there's no way of knowing beforehand.
omgah. seriously?
::shakes head in an "oh, the irony" cliche motion::
2. An Old-Acquaintance
Remember how I went to that Christian Educator's Conference back in November? About 600-800 Christian Educators from around Asia attended, and all day long the first day, I kept seeing this lady that I swore I knew. After the 4th time of running into her, I followed her up an escalator (haha, creeeperrr). At the top, I stopped her and said, "Hi...uh... I think I know you." Just then, I read "Rebekah" on her name tag and remembered. "... Did you happen to teach English to some Somal*an refugees at an apartment complex on E. Berry Street?" Y'all, that was 6 years ago. Go ahead, you who always comment on my crazy-good long term memory... roll your eyes; I did, too.
Rebekah: "Yes, did we teach together?"
me: "Well, sorta... I subbed once for ___, and I know it's weird that I remembered you, but I actually just thought "gosh she looks familiar," and it wasn't until I saw your name tag that I remembered how I know you." By the look on her face, I could tell she really was trying to remember who I was.
And I was thinking, "omg kt, that was freaky."
Rebekah: "Hmmm, I'm trying to remember. Do you happen to know A.V.?"
me: "Mmm, no, I don't think so."
Rebekah: "Oh, well I thought maybe you were there when she was teaching. She's so sweet, I thought maybe y'all were friends. She ended up marrying my son."
Just then it hit me. NOW I REALLY remember her! As I was leaving the class, we stood outside my car and had a good conversation that led to her trying to set me up with her son. I reminded of her that, and THEN she remembered who I was.
Rebekah: "Ohhhhh, now I remember you! You drove a cute little Jeep!"
me: "Yep, that's me! How weird to run into you, and I can't believe I recognized you!"
Rebekah: "I know small world! Well, do you happen to be married or dating now? Because I have this nephew... do you happen to know L. P.?"
me: "OMGosh!" (L. P. is your nephew?!?!)
me: "OMGosh!" (L. P.'s bro & sis-in-law are friends of mine! They're in my Life Group at home! Y'all are related???)
me: "OMGosh! I know A. V.!!! I stood NEXT to her in Yoga at L. P.'s sister-in-law's house for several weeks last year!"
Not 1 connection.
Not 2 connections.
But all 6 degrees of separation, folks. She now lives in China but took a break for the conference in Chiang Mai. We caught up on life during lunch, and Nellie & I went on a night safari with her and her friends one night. It was a very sweet blessing for both of us to reconnect.
I love it when stuff like that happens. :)
3. A Run-in in Bangkok
You know in When Harry Met Sally, they're singing karaoke to Surrey with the Fringe on Top, and Harry spots his ex-wife?
Sally: You sure you're OK?
Harry: Oh, I'm fine. Look, it had to happen at some point. In a city of eight million people, you're bound to run into your ex-wife.
No, I didn't run into any exes. But THIS is SO WEIRD, and it reminded me of that line in When Harry Met Sally. One morning on our trip in Bangkok, Nellie and I needed and take the Sky Train---Let me mention real quickly that Bangkok is one of the largest cities in the world with a population of about 10 million people.--- We ended up at a train docking station that we'd never been to, and I look over at the waiting station next to ours and said, "Hey, I think I know that guy." He turned around talking to a friend and I said, "Yes, I do! He works at Grace!" Grace is an international school in Chiang Mai where I had visited for a curriculum survey trip about a month before this. We stepped aboard our train and a rare thing happened - hardly anybody else in our section of the train car. Usually it's too packed to find a seat, but divinely (although I have yet figured out the reason), we found ourselves on this e m p t y train car, so we sat down next to this guy and his friends. He recognized me and so did the friend that was with him, the 2nd grade teacher from Grace! I thought it was funny that I teach 2nd grade and music, and I ran into the 2nd grade teacher and the music teacher from Chiang Mai, but we all ended up on this random train car in Bangkok.
That was enough irony for me. "Woooow, that is SOooo weirrrrd. What are the odds?"
But THEN,
The next day on our way home, we stopped in Chiang Mai for a bit to see a friend and enjoy the city for the day. I checked my email at a coffee shop and read one from Mom that said, "Hey, I was just talking to Diane, who said she knows someone at Grace International School in Chiang Mai. His name is ___ and he's the music teacher there. I told her I wasn't sure what the odds of you knowing him are, but that I'd go ahead and ask." I checked the time change between here and Texas, and Mom sent that email almost to the exact hour that I was running into this guy in Bangkok.
I KNOW, RIGHT?!
When I find myself in situations like these, I ask myself -
Does this mean I'm supposed to be here or something?
Because while there is a reason for everything,
- The Bachelor coming to Chiang Rai doesn't mean I was supposed to become the dramatic "twist" of this season.
- Reconnecting with Rebekah doesn't mean I should be dating anybody related to her.
- And receiving an email about a guy I know in Chiang Mai who I ran into in Bangkok on the day this email was sent from Texas doesn't necessarily mean... well, actually I still can't figure that one out. That was weird!
Instead, I'll just believe that everything happens for a reason, not always for me to figure or find out. And that sometimes, no matter how wild and crazy or how small and simple of a moment it is, I'll just trust that it's God's way of telling me, "Don't worry, kt, you're right where I want you to be."
Oh, irony. Sometimes I think you're really just divinity and confirmation in disguise. Other times, maybe you're just around for a good laugh and an entertaining story.... :)
Oh, irony. You weird, weird THing. emphasis on "th."
You may need to read through this post a little slowly, or a few times to really get all the wild irony in each instance. Not all ironic situations I find myself in get documentation. These are too weird to skip, though.
1. Last Bachelor-talk, really.
Okay.
I promise I'm not obsessed with this guy.
But you are not even gonna believe this story.
In a few recent posts, I mentioned a dream I had about The Bachelor. (Can I just say, it's been hilarious how many friends have sent me emails or messages about the new bachelor and how watching the show makes them think of me, and also how he freakishly reminds them of a former-significant-solid-buff-blue-eyed, blond-haired man I had in my life?) Anyway - here's a quick re-cap - I dreamed that Sean came to Thailand for the filming of his show and he secretly began falling for me instead of the contestants.
Well, about a week after I had that dream, a friend sent me a message to say she had just read that Sean filmed his last few episodes in Chiang Rai.
YA, I know.
I said I'd only apply for the show if I knew Sean was The Bachelor, and there's no way of knowing beforehand.
TURNS.OUT.
kt moved to Chiang Rai,
Sean became The Bachelor,
kt dreamed about Seanzie coming to Chiang Rai,
then he did indeed end up IN Chiang Rai as The Bachelor.
omgah. seriously?
::shakes head in an "oh, the irony" cliche motion::
2. An Old-Acquaintance
Remember how I went to that Christian Educator's Conference back in November? About 600-800 Christian Educators from around Asia attended, and all day long the first day, I kept seeing this lady that I swore I knew. After the 4th time of running into her, I followed her up an escalator (haha, creeeperrr). At the top, I stopped her and said, "Hi...uh... I think I know you." Just then, I read "Rebekah" on her name tag and remembered. "... Did you happen to teach English to some Somal*an refugees at an apartment complex on E. Berry Street?" Y'all, that was 6 years ago. Go ahead, you who always comment on my crazy-good long term memory... roll your eyes; I did, too.
Rebekah: "Yes, did we teach together?"
me: "Well, sorta... I subbed once for ___, and I know it's weird that I remembered you, but I actually just thought "gosh she looks familiar," and it wasn't until I saw your name tag that I remembered how I know you." By the look on her face, I could tell she really was trying to remember who I was.
And I was thinking, "omg kt, that was freaky."
Rebekah: "Hmmm, I'm trying to remember. Do you happen to know A.V.?"
me: "Mmm, no, I don't think so."
Rebekah: "Oh, well I thought maybe you were there when she was teaching. She's so sweet, I thought maybe y'all were friends. She ended up marrying my son."
Just then it hit me. NOW I REALLY remember her! As I was leaving the class, we stood outside my car and had a good conversation that led to her trying to set me up with her son. I reminded of her that, and THEN she remembered who I was.
Rebekah: "Ohhhhh, now I remember you! You drove a cute little Jeep!"
me: "Yep, that's me! How weird to run into you, and I can't believe I recognized you!"
Rebekah: "I know small world! Well, do you happen to be married or dating now? Because I have this nephew... do you happen to know L. P.?"
me: "OMGosh!" (L. P. is your nephew?!?!)
me: "OMGosh!" (L. P.'s bro & sis-in-law are friends of mine! They're in my Life Group at home! Y'all are related???)
me: "OMGosh! I know A. V.!!! I stood NEXT to her in Yoga at L. P.'s sister-in-law's house for several weeks last year!"
Not 1 connection.
Not 2 connections.
But all 6 degrees of separation, folks. She now lives in China but took a break for the conference in Chiang Mai. We caught up on life during lunch, and Nellie & I went on a night safari with her and her friends one night. It was a very sweet blessing for both of us to reconnect.
I love it when stuff like that happens. :)
3. A Run-in in Bangkok
You know in When Harry Met Sally, they're singing karaoke to Surrey with the Fringe on Top, and Harry spots his ex-wife?
Sally: You sure you're OK?
Harry: Oh, I'm fine. Look, it had to happen at some point. In a city of eight million people, you're bound to run into your ex-wife.
No, I didn't run into any exes. But THIS is SO WEIRD, and it reminded me of that line in When Harry Met Sally. One morning on our trip in Bangkok, Nellie and I needed and take the Sky Train---Let me mention real quickly that Bangkok is one of the largest cities in the world with a population of about 10 million people.--- We ended up at a train docking station that we'd never been to, and I look over at the waiting station next to ours and said, "Hey, I think I know that guy." He turned around talking to a friend and I said, "Yes, I do! He works at Grace!" Grace is an international school in Chiang Mai where I had visited for a curriculum survey trip about a month before this. We stepped aboard our train and a rare thing happened - hardly anybody else in our section of the train car. Usually it's too packed to find a seat, but divinely (although I have yet figured out the reason), we found ourselves on this e m p t y train car, so we sat down next to this guy and his friends. He recognized me and so did the friend that was with him, the 2nd grade teacher from Grace! I thought it was funny that I teach 2nd grade and music, and I ran into the 2nd grade teacher and the music teacher from Chiang Mai, but we all ended up on this random train car in Bangkok.
That was enough irony for me. "Woooow, that is SOooo weirrrrd. What are the odds?"
But THEN,
The next day on our way home, we stopped in Chiang Mai for a bit to see a friend and enjoy the city for the day. I checked my email at a coffee shop and read one from Mom that said, "Hey, I was just talking to Diane, who said she knows someone at Grace International School in Chiang Mai. His name is ___ and he's the music teacher there. I told her I wasn't sure what the odds of you knowing him are, but that I'd go ahead and ask." I checked the time change between here and Texas, and Mom sent that email almost to the exact hour that I was running into this guy in Bangkok.
I KNOW, RIGHT?!
When I find myself in situations like these, I ask myself -
Does this mean I'm supposed to be here or something?
Because while there is a reason for everything,
- The Bachelor coming to Chiang Rai doesn't mean I was supposed to become the dramatic "twist" of this season.
- Reconnecting with Rebekah doesn't mean I should be dating anybody related to her.
- And receiving an email about a guy I know in Chiang Mai who I ran into in Bangkok on the day this email was sent from Texas doesn't necessarily mean... well, actually I still can't figure that one out. That was weird!
Instead, I'll just believe that everything happens for a reason, not always for me to figure or find out. And that sometimes, no matter how wild and crazy or how small and simple of a moment it is, I'll just trust that it's God's way of telling me, "Don't worry, kt, you're right where I want you to be."
Oh, irony. Sometimes I think you're really just divinity and confirmation in disguise. Other times, maybe you're just around for a good laugh and an entertaining story.... :)
1 comment:
Love, love, love this post!!!
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