in a small burg
like Lewistown
six degrees
of separation
is an
everyday occurrence.
Montana did not become a state until 1889.
Only 123 years young it's denizen's roots run deep and... tangled.
Chances are where ever you go, what ever you do, there is a connection.
Everything is relative in Lewistown.
Your second or third cousin could be your cashier at Albertsons.Another distant relation the President of the Friends of the Library.
Or your first cousin might be the guy who delivers your favorite beer.
"X" went to high school with "Y".
"A" used to be married to "B".
And someone's ex sister-in-law works at the Courthouse.
And someone's ex sister-in-law works at the Courthouse.
I first heard that phrase at the
Pepsi Walt Disney Pavillion
at the 1964 Worlds Fair
in Flushing Meadows NY.
I was fascinated by that ride...
The fact is no matter where you are
you may meet someone you know.
Consider my paternal grandmother.
In 1919 Margretta divorced her
bigamist husband (another time/blog).
Throughout the 1920's she struggled to support my father.
Ultimately meeting a kind gentleman who truly loved her company
but preferred to remain a bachelor.
For this recantation we will call him Mr. "Jones".
"Mr. Jones" was a very generous guy.
He provided my grandmother with a lovely home on Riverside Drive.
It was there that he "visited" her on a regular basis for over 20 years.
must come to an end.
One day "Mr. Jones" died.
Soon thereafter Margretta
dutifully attended his funeral.
Standing beside his casket
she was joined by an equally
attractive lady, also in tears...
"Mr. Jones was such a kind
and generous gentleman".
To which Margretta nodded
as she continued -
"He visited me every Tuesday,
Thursday, and Saturday".
After a long pause...
My grandmother responded -
"Really? He visited me each
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday".
Thus obviously Sunday was "Mr. Jones" day of rest.
As the two ladies
continued to chat,
they discovered
their "friend" was
an organized and
very fair man.
Both were ofan organized and
very fair man.
comparable age,
stature, coloring,
and demeanor.
blocks apart on a
northeast corner of
Riverside Drive in
an elegant coop.
Both on the
same floor,
with the
same number,
with the
same floor plan.
provided for in his will.
Each inheriting their
coop apartment.
An equal amount of
cash.
A comparable allocation of
stocks.
And similar additional
stipends.
All of the above proves that whether you're in Lewistown or Manhattan -
You never know who you're connected to.
Hence my advice is treat everybody kindly and with great respect.
Ultimately the golden rule is the safest way to survive our "intimate" world.
