Has this ever happened to you?

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Number of blogs in the blogosphere : 60 million (and growing each day)
Number of blogs being created everyday :80,000
Number of blogs in India : Over one million
Average number of people visiting MY blog in a day : 58
Out of these 58, the number located in India: 7

Do you see what I’m getting at ? No?

Well—a strange—really strange thing happened yesterday. I had seen an advertisement in the newspaper, an attractively worded advertisement that called for people with a flair for creative writing ,to work as instructional designers ,for a e-learning company. The ‘creative’ part of me was hooked and I decided to apply.

Leaving my kids home with a baby-sitter , I ventured forth bravely at 8:30 am, to the other end of the city. The office of my prospective employer looked plush and comfortable. There were six of us—the aspiring ‘creative’ Instructional designers. There was a gruelling test of intelligence and aptitude, and also a test to examine your creativity and writing style. It took so much longer than expected but I enjoyed the whole exercise thoroughly.(I love challenges and thrive on them—the test they set was not easy by any standards—but I loved it all the same) By the time they (and us—the 'aspirants'!) were done with the tests, it was 2:00pm. My mommy instincts had now set in—and I had also promised the baby-sitter that I’d be back home by 2 pm—and I was already running late. So even though there was another HR interview scheduled, I told them I had to leave. They said they would make an exception in my case and interview me telephonically—and all of us could take a break for lunch.

Just as I was leaving, I heard someone call my name.
I turned around and she said “Do you know me?”
Now, I have lived in 5 different places in the last 10 years. I had no clue who she was. That happens rarely. Usually, I associate faces with a name quickly. For a moment I panicked. She knew my name. "Oh my god—who is she? Was I losing my memory? Was I growing old? "
She was smiling at me now.
I decided to be honest “I am so sorry—I have no idea. Er.. Have we met?”
Then she says “I visited your blog—and left a comment two days back—remember? I’m Ritu.”

Realisation slowly dawned on me. There was indeed a Ritu who had written some nice things in my comment box a few days back. I had visited her blog in turn, and left comments too. So here she was.In flesh and blood. Someone from the virtual world had actually materialized in front of me—and she had recognized me from my picture!! What is more—she had discovered my blog just a few days back.

I was amazed. I had no idea that she was in India, let alone the same city I lived in—and the height of coincidence—both of us turning up at the same place, at the same time.

She is a bubbly ,enthusiastic and jovial person—and we got along so well.And were chatting like old friends. It was almost like we knew each other. We exchanged numbers and promised to meet with our families.

Well—maybe we did! Our blogs reveal so much. We make so many ‘online’ friends.

And sometimes, just sometimes, you meet them in the flesh.


Comments

  1. hey...wt a coincidence!!!Sometimes it gets hard to believe dat online-virtual world is a mirror image of reality itself...but its true!
    And All d very best for ur interview.

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  2. This is so incredibly cool. I've never had this happen to me because of my blog. Stories of me in newspapers, etc. yes, but never because of my blog. I would love to meet a blog buddy some day. Maybe this will help you get the job? Keep us posted on that and let us know.

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  3. Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction. I guess even coincidences happen for a reason, and its upto us to find the real meaning behind it. Wish u all the best for ur interview. Also, liked the new look of ur blog :)

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  4. hey! ritu did tell me how she was pleasantly surprised to see you there! :) btw, I am the pretty woman she was referring to, if you have still not figured me out!! :D I love the way you write...straight from the heart! wish you all the best in your job search as well...you are right, everything happens for a reason! I strongly believe different people come into our lives for some reason, for sure!!

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  5. Bumping into a blog friend sure sounds like fun :-)

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  6. http://www.spiritsite.com/writing/jerjam/part14.shtml
    check this out!!! I believe there are NO COINCIDENCES- it is all ORGANIZED CHAOS. love and hugs,
    Babiakka

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  7. Anonymous9:56 PM

    i read preeti's post,though i already knew dat.the only thing i want to say abt dis is.life is full of coincidences. so always be preapared for it

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  8. I was talking to someone at my last exhibition whom I'd never met before..however he had read my blog regularly and said he knew all about me!..very disconcerting!

    How amazing that you got to 'bump' into Ritu!...my grandmother (who died mamny many years ago) used to have a favourite saying: "you never know when you look in a busy street!"

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  9. wow that sounds so amazing!!!ur indeed a popular figure out there ;)

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  10. I will look you up Preeti when I come to India... :D Then you will have another post to write. But seriously, this is kinda cool.
    I did meet with a blogger in Chicago but he was working at the client site when I landed there. So the thrill was not as much as it would have been in the scenario you detailed!

    Vidya

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  11. Anonymous1:45 PM

    That's absolutely amazing. Who would of thought a blog could change your nonvirtual life

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  12. Amazing isn't it ?? This inspires me to get back to blogging.Have been off it for a pretty long time.

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  13. Anonymous5:17 PM

    Hi! Twas nice to read the post...about our 'meeting'. My hubby was surprised too...and glad that I am finally making my own set of friends... Since we left Delhi 10 months ago, I've had no interactions with "friends"... Looking forward to meeting u again... a planned meeting for a change!!!

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  14. Oh that's so fantastic!! :)
    Amazing coincidence, the world is so big, you're right...
    And those tests sound really exciting! I'm glad you went there :)

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  15. Wow! What a nice serendipity! :)

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  16. What an amazing coincidence and how cool! I have never met a blog buddy and it seems unlikley seeing as most of mine are outside the UK.

    Good luck for the outcome of that job though - it sounds interesting :)

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  17. lol...yea this has happened to me twice...
    its funny how things work...15 seconds of fame from thy blog...
    cool...you made a new buddy...


    what happened to the interview?

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  18. this is a very nice story.

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  19. the world is a small place after all.. :) nice post..

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  20. Very interesting [:D] small beautiful world is all I can say. Good luck with the job as well !

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  21. And BTW what's the story with that incredible facts and stats?

    I remember someone said, "Blow your trumpet hard, should you fail to others might use it as a spittoon".

    May be this prompted you with the numbers. Aree!! those are mind blowing ones. Perhaps should "S - Mr.P " come to know he might make a big cover story which is all the more good and yes I might be interviewed too coz I am the one fitting in that "the number located in India: 7" item. So I will also get an opportunity to become Famous with a capital F.
    Wow ! what have I become.. [:D] I guess this is what a jobless mind things of.. LOL

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  22. Anonymous10:27 AM

    Wow. That is just so cool! :)

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  23. WOW. Tiz is really something!:D

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  24. Anonymous4:25 AM

    Wow! That is an amazing coincidence! She just recognized you from your pictures! I wish I could find somebody like that someday! It would be such fun. I would probably scare them first a bit saying I am their stalker or something :)

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