Chance Encounters

It was a busy weekend. Aren't they all? Part of it was spent at the 40Th wedding anniversary party for Peter and Mary Jay Michel. Married in 1967 they are still going strong. I asked Peter if someone had asked him as he walked down the aisle to predict the next 40 years would he have predicted this? He smiled and said, "Who knew!"

Well he never could have predicted a friendship with me, and neither would I. I met Peter through one of those chance encounters. Kate and I were at a black tie affair. We were in line for a drink, looking for a familiar face. You've been there before you are in a sea of unfamiliar faces. At some point you just have to dive into that sea and we did. We struck up a conversation with a nice couple that had just moved back to the area from Pittsburgh.

Peter Michel and his wife Mary Jay were charming and talkative. At some point Peter tugged at Mary Jay's arm and informed us they would have to circulate. They did, and we did too.

It was probably about 20 minutes later when we finally made it to the other side of the room. Having drained our beverages we got in another long line for a drink. When we got to the front, ordered our drinks and turned to leave, we noticed the people right next to us. It was Peter and Mary Jay.

That chance encounter, followed by another chance encounter has led to a close friendship. Peter is the kind of guy you instinctively go to for advice. He's been a CEO at several corporations. At this anniversary party, family members let me know that Peter is good at offering advice even when you don't want it.

Just a few weeks ago the family made the journey to New York to send our daughter Courtney off to Guyana. While we were there we managed to sit down for breakfast with my long time friend Rory Markas. Rory is the voice of the Los Angeles Angels. http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/team/broadcasters.jsp?c_id=ana We've been close friends ever since a chance encounter in college.

I remember it well, I was the nervous teenager just out of high school arriving for my first day of class. Naturally I sat in the back of the classroom. In walked Rory, he plopped down in the seat next to me. We didn't talk. No one talked. We were all terrified. The professor of this broadcasting class Bill Nelson was known for making you speak into a microphone on the first day.

Mr. Nelson called out my name. My knees were banging into one another. My hands were shaking. I held the copy right in front of my face and delivered my lines, stumbling like a maniac. When I sat down I was embarrassed and crestfallen. The stranger in the seat next to me said, "Hey man you sounded pretty good!" Those were the first words Rory ever uttered to me. That one sentence sparked a friendship that has lasted decades.

So next time you are sitting next to a stranger, or run into one at a dinner party, jump in and say hello. It could be the start of a great friendship. Speaking of friends, make sure you check out Kim Martucci's blog. It's all about a great restaurant you'll want to take your new friend to.