How small the world really is.

[Nessa]

Have you ever wondered how small the world truly was? Did you ever think, what do my actions, my words, matter? 'It doesn't affect anyone but myself.' I have said that time and time again, defending myself to others. Today I went to the Postsecret website, and mindlessly scrolling down, reading the emails that people have sent in to reply to the postcards. At the very bottom of this weeks batch of secrets is this:



A year and a half ago I sent that $5 bill (along with another one) to Memphis TN to my friend Tabitha. She was having money problems and couldn't find a job. I didn't think much about it when I wrote it, but I just wanted to let her know I was thinking about her and I missed her. A year and a half later, it wound up in a bank, and completely changed another person. It just goes to show that it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but everything you do & say will affect another person, for better or for worse. And not only that, it shows that everything you say will be read differently by every person that reads it. What she read, was much more then I meant when I wrote it, but thinking about it, its true. Thats how I felt, I wanted to give more, I felt bad that I couldn't, but I did what I could. Thats all anyone can do.

note: This is definitely my $5 bill, as I showed it to someone and before they read that I thought it was mine, they recognized my handwriting.

[Morningstar]

Wow, Nessa, I got tears in my eyes from reading your post. Your act of selfless kindness will end up affecting many more than your friend. Not just your friend, but the bank teller, and now people who read that site. And now people who read your PPT post. The positive effect you will undoubtedly have on people. To give when you can. To help others who need help. You should post on that site. I bet the bank teller would be just floored if you did.

[Uncle Xyzzy]

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

[Morningstar]

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

Ah, I am an optimist. So, I do believe that it is more than possible. And I more than believe that it is a small world. To explain (I like to do that). I was in a car accident about 7 years ago. Not a bad one. The woman who hit my car and I were on the side of the expressway waiting for the police (who never did show up by the way). And all of a sudden, a guy pulls over and says are you "MY NAME." He was my first boyfriend. When we were sophomores and juniors in high school. Almost 25 years prior to my accident. His first words were "I was so worried about how you ended up and I am so glad to know that you are OK." We both lived in a Chicago suburb when we were in high school, but both of us moved to a suburb 40 miles away when we became adults. THE SAME SUBURB! And yet had never run into each other (after college) until that accident. Small world? You betcha. I mean think about it. I live in a Chicago suburb. I see thousands and thousands of cars on the expressway every day. As does my first boyfriend. To pick me out while I was standing on the side of the road? And he hadn't seen me in at least 20 years. It's not like I had pink hair and a huge mole. lol. I think it was meant to be. Maybe to give us both peace of mind that the first person we loved was still alive and kicking. And doing OK. Cause he knew that I had had a lot of family problems since we had last met (lots of deaths in my life). I have run into him a couple times since then (we moved to the next suburb over). He and I ran into each other at a park a few years ago and he bent down to my daughter and said that she had a beautiful mom. Bittersweet. Cause he was my first love, you know? I am rambling, I know. And some of you might not get it. After all, I am OLD. But, what I mean to say is that is a small world and maybe sometimes things happen for a reason. If for nothing else but to give a person who is worrying about someone peace of mind. To let them know that we made it out of that hellhole of a life we were in pretty much unscathed. (yes, my life during high school and college was that bad--some of you have heard all about it, so I don't feel like repeating it).

Last edited by Morningstar on Sat May 05, 2007 2:52 am, edited 3 times in total.

[Ski]

I saw this, and I thought it was really cool!
Personally, I think there's a reason for everything, and this is no exception. =)

[Bangel]

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

Your comments are not needed here. If you would like to be negative about a very personal and touching story to someone, you can voice it somewhere else. A common rule of thumb: if what you're posting requires saying "I would comment on this, but for soandso reason I'm not going to", your post is pointless.

Also, I for one have received letters from Nessa in the past, and the writing is hers, dead on.

***

That aside, I'm extremely happy for you. I know what this must mean to you, and I can't imagine how infinite you feel right now, my love. :D

[Uncle Xyzzy]

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

Ah, I am an optimist. So, I do believe that it is more than possible. And I more than believe that it is a small world. To explain (I like to do that). I was in a car accident about 7 years ago. Not a bad one. The woman who hit my car and I were on the side of the expressway waiting for the police (who never did show up by the way). And all of a sudden, a guy pulls over and says are you "MY NAME." He was my first boyfriend. When we were sophomores and juniors in high school. Almost 25 years prior to my accident. His first words were "I was so worried about how you ended up and I am so glad to know that you are OK." We both lived in a Chicago suburb when we were in high school, but both of us moved to a suburb 40 miles away when we became adults. THE SAME SUBURB! And yet had never run into each other (after college) until that accident. Small world? You betcha. I mean think about it. I live in a Chicago suburb. I see thousands and thousands of cars on the expressway every day. As does my first boyfriend. To pick me out while I was standing on the side of the road? And he hadn't seen me in at least 20 years. It's not like I had pink hair and a huge mole. lol. I think it was meant to be. Maybe to give us both peace of mind that the first person we loved was still alive and kicking. And doing OK. Cause he knew that I had had a lot of family problems since we had last met (lots of deaths in my life). I have run into him a couple times since then (we moved to the next suburb over). He and I ran into each other at a park a few years ago and he bent down to my daughter and said that she had a beautiful mom. Bittersweet. Cause he was my first love, you know? I am rambling, I know. And some of you might not get it. After all, I am OLD. But, what I mean to say is that is a small world and maybe sometimes things happen for a reason. If for nothing else but to give a person who is worrying about someone peace of mind. To let them know that we made it out of that hellhole of a life we were in pretty much unscathed. (yes, my life during high school and college was that bad--some of you have heard all about it, so I don't feel like repeating it).

Ah, I wasn't suggesting it was unlikely; quite the opposite.

Considering the intensively massive number of people in the world, it's not at all surprising to me when something like it haapens.

It's sort of like if everyone was equally biased toward everyone else. You would feel like everyone hated you, since everyone was giving you an extremely small slice of bias, which together make a big one, while all you notice is the individual slices you're giving.

Statistically, the vast number of people who run into people who run into people, etc., it's actually not surprising at all to mathy-types that things like this happen.

[Nessa]

Wow, Nessa, I got tears in my eyes from reading your post. Your act of selfless kindness will end up affecting many more than your friend. Not just your friend, but the bank teller, and now people who read that site. And now people who read your PPT post. The positive effect you will undoubtedly have on people. To give when you can. To help others who need help. You should post on that site. I bet the bank teller would be just floored if you did.

Its amazing isn't it? Everyone thinks, what can I do? I have no power, there is nothing in me to give, nothing at all. Yet $5 gives someone a sense of hope, $1 to a suicide hotline could save 3 lives, a act of kindness goes so much farther then anyone could really realize. It is so amazing how far that simple sentence went to me, and to know that everyone who goes into that womans office will look at it, ponder, possibly ask, and also be affected by it. Its mesmerizing.

I did send in an email, I just hope he reads it and posts it up soon. The email I sent in said this, in case he never posts it up;

"I mailed that $5 to my friend, it was all I could give her. I believe we get the messages we need when we need them. All we have is all we can give, Youfre never alone, Someone is always there. You've brightened my day and reminded me that we're all connected and its just a matter of passing it on."

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

Ah, I am an optimist. So, I do believe that it is more than possible. And I more than believe that it is a small world. To explain (I like to do that). I was in a car accident about 7 years ago. Not a bad one. The woman who hit my car and I were on the side of the expressway waiting for the police (who never did show up by the way). And all of a sudden, a guy pulls over and says are you "MY NAME." He was my first boyfriend. When we were sophomores and juniors in high school. Almost 25 years prior to my accident. His first words were "I was so worried about how you ended up and I am so glad to know that you are OK." We both lived in a Chicago suburb when we were in high school, but both of us moved to a suburb 40 miles away when we became adults. THE SAME SUBURB! And yet had never run into each other (after college) until that accident. Small world? You betcha. I mean think about it. I live in a Chicago suburb. I see thousands and thousands of cars on the expressway every day. As does my first boyfriend. To pick me out while I was standing on the side of the road? And he hadn't seen me in at least 20 years. It's not like I had pink hair and a huge mole. lol. I think it was meant to be. Maybe to give us both peace of mind that the first person we loved was still alive and kicking. And doing OK. Cause he knew that I had had a lot of family problems since we had last met (lots of deaths in my life). I have run into him a couple times since then (we moved to the next suburb over). He and I ran into each other at a park a few years ago and he bent down to my daughter and said that she had a beautiful mom. Bittersweet. Cause he was my first love, you know? I am rambling, I know. And some of you might not get it. After all, I am OLD. But, what I mean to say is that is a small world and maybe sometimes things happen for a reason. If for nothing else but to give a person who is worrying about someone peace of mind. To let them know that we made it out of that hellhole of a life we were in pretty much unscathed. (yes, my life during high school and college was that bad--some of you have heard all about it, so I don't feel like repeating it).

Wow, thats really amazing! For someone to recognize you like that, you must be quite the looker. He sounds like a really great friend, someone you'd be really sad to say goodbye to.

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

Your comments are not needed here. If you would like to be negative about a very personal and touching story to someone, you can voice it somewhere else. A common rule of thumb: if what you're posting requires saying "I would comment on this, but for soandso reason I'm not going to", your post is pointless.

Also, I for one have received letters from Nessa in the past, and the writing is hers, dead on.

***

That aside, I'm extremely happy for you. I know what this must mean to you, and I can't imagine how infinite you feel right now, my love.

Its truely amazing, I feel a sense of peace honestly. I feel like now I know the world really will be ok as long as we watch out for each other.

Ah, I wasn't suggesting it was unlikely; quite the opposite.

Considering the intensively massive number of people in the world, it's not at all surprising to me when something like it haapens.

It's sort of like if everyone was equally biased toward everyone else. You would feel like everyone hated you, since everyone was giving you an extremely small slice of bias, which together make a big one, while all you notice is the individual slices you're giving.

Statistically, the vast number of people who run into people who run into people, etc., it's actually not surprising at all to mathy-types that things like this happen.

I'm not sure you understand, I mailed this a year and a half ago to Tennessee from Texas, and for it to be sent to a same website that I religiously check, and not something like Found magazine, which I never read. Its really out there for that to happen imo.

[Mongrel]

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

Your comments are not needed here. If you would like to be negative about a very personal and touching story to someone, you can voice it somewhere else. A common rule of thumb: if what you're posting requires saying "I would comment on this, but for soandso reason I'm not going to", your post is pointless.

That seems a bit harsh to me. He wasn't saying the story has no real value to the world. Just because it was a fluke doesn't mean it was worthless. Heck, every great thing that's happened to me in my life can probably be traced back to a fluke. My two closest friends are my friends because of flukes. For me, life itself is one long series of lucky shots and chance occurrences. That doesn't mean hard work is useless, but that the best things in life--the reminders of why you try--are the random connections that bring one person to another in some way, even if only for a moment.
Those connections are chance. Their impacts are not.

[Igg]

Oh, it's definitely your handwriting.

[Silver]

Wow, what an amazing story. The mysteries of coincidences and mere chance. It's great to hear how that single note made such a positive impact on the person (and probably others who will read about it). And it's amazing to hear of how you had come across it again, after so long.

Also, you reminded me of the Postsecrets website, which I seem to have completely forgotten about it - until now. Always enjoyed reading through the posts.

[Twinkle]

That's fantastic Ness. It's pretty inspiring.

[Bangel]

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

Your comments are not needed here. If you would like to be negative about a very personal and touching story to someone, you can voice it somewhere else. A common rule of thumb: if what you're posting requires saying "I would comment on this, but for soandso reason I'm not going to", your post is pointless.

That seems a bit harsh to me. He wasn't saying the story has no real value to the world. Just because it was a fluke doesn't mean it was worthless. Heck, every great thing that's happened to me in my life can probably be traced back to a fluke. My two closest friends are my friends because of flukes. For me, life itself is one long series of lucky shots and chance occurrences. That doesn't mean hard work is useless, but that the best things in life--the reminders of why you try--are the random connections that bring one person to another in some way, even if only for a moment.
Those connections are chance. Their impacts are not.

It was partly a mistake on my side, because it had been a long and tiring day and I mistakenly took fluke to mean "there are so many other 5 dollar bills just like this one; it's probably not yours."

Regardless, I still stand by my opinion that if you really have to say "I'd like to comment on this...", you should just not comment.

[Matterbug]

I still think this is super awesome, and it really shows how small the world can be, and how we're all connected in ways we don't know that we are.

[DM was on fire!]

I'm tempted to post a complex mathematical analysis to show that this is a fluke, but it's a nice story, and statistics would ruin it.

Interesting.

Your comments are not needed here. If you would like to be negative about a very personal and touching story to someone, you can voice it somewhere else. A common rule of thumb: if what you're posting requires saying "I would comment on this, but for soandso reason I'm not going to", your post is pointless.

Also, I for one have received letters from Nessa in the past, and the writing is hers, dead on.

I think he was just trying to be funny.

That's pretty cool, Nessa. I've always wanted to try something like that (seeing how far a dollar bill can go). ^^