After the game "Six Degrees From Kevin Bacon" came out, I remember learning that everyone in the United States was, on average, only 3 degrees of separation from anyone else within the country. This has always fascinated me, and I like to test it out from time to time. It wasn't as fun in Jackson because I was related to, went to school with, or had a work connection with the majority of the town. It has been a little more fun here and has helped us get to know a few people we might not have otherwise.
The invention of Facebook has made it easier to find out how you are connected to people who might have been total strangers yesterday. Today I noticed a certain cleaver quote popping up in status of seemingly unrelated people and I got curious. After tracing it back to the start I found Tiffany Underwood. Although she didn't post it, it was posted within the comments of her status, which lead to the spreading to various circles of my life. I realized that all 5 of my major circles of friends, at some point, overlap with hers. I'm pretty sure that she is my only non-relative that has accomplished this. She is now my personal Kevin Bacon. I'm going to start introducing myself to people as, "Hi. I'm Lynn. How do you know Tiffany?"
One benefit I have found of this is that it eases my social awkwardness to know that there will be at least one person I can have a conversation with in a large gathering. It is like when you go to a pot luck dinner and you recognize the casserole dish of someone who knows how to cook so you feel safe eating from that dish and know you won't starve that night. You are no longer playing Russian Roulette with your digestive system. You are setting down to dinner with friends, which is much less stressful. That's not just me, right?
Do you have a Kevin Bacon? A friend that overlaps into multiple circles of friends?
No comments:
Post a Comment