Concentric circles

Just outside Dubrovnik, slumped down in our chairs, the sun intense with us hunkering close to the van in the small amount of shade on offer, an Italian man came over telling us that we’d camped in the same spot a few days back in Sarajevo. While we didn’t remember him, he remembered Jenifer. Increasingly as we get into the summer, the sea of great white sharks grows, Jenifer stands out.  To me the great white sharks are the white motor homes that seem to congregate in huge shoals at this time of year.

These concentric circles though are a recurring theme. Some of the circles are small, some much bigger. 

The other night we camped on the side of the road outside a small winery. We Tasted the wines made by two brothers. As we were talking one of the brothers mentioned that he’d been in a car crash the day before. It transpires that we’d witnessed the crash that happened right outside the campsite 15 miles from where we were drinking wine. As soon as the crash happened everyone had rushed out to see if the people involved were ok. In the end it was just the cars. But tasting the wines it seemed strange that we’d unknowingly met one of our hosts the day before. 

This experience of connection isn’t a one off. Back in Turkey a month or so back we were surprised when a Chinese plated van arrived. Certainly the most unique plate we’ve seen. Yu and Ying owners of the van experiencing a downturn in their business decided that it would be a good idea to travel. And so they set off for Europe from the eastern side of China, hoping to see some of the Olympics.

The strangest thing happened the other day. Tina and Andrew, long time friends who we stayed with on our second night of the trip just south of Bonn messaged to say that they had spotted Yu and Ying driving on the autobahn near Stuttgart. 

What are the chances of that? Two independent journeys colliding with each other at random points in time and location.

These connections are not new. Back in the late 1980s I bumped in to a New Zealand climber in Sydney that I’d helped back in the Himalayas something like 15 months before. He was part of a small climbing team which was attempting to climb Pumori. A mountain that’s only a few miles from Mt Everest. Steve was his name and he had an abscess on one of his teeth. We took up some antibiotics which had helped, but I learnt as I talked to him in Sydney that he ended up having a tooth extraction 16,000 feet up in the mountains without anaesthetic carried out by a doctor, not a dentist. 

I think about these things as I sit in Dubrovnik airport waiting for my flight back to the UK. A detour that I have to take alone while I leave Juliet and the van at an airbnb. My son Ben has passed his commando training and receives his green beret and I need to be there to tell him in person how proud I am of him.

As the plane takes off I spot Juliet and the van with it’s distinctive blue colour and white roof on the ground. Juliet waving and I smile as this is the first time I’ve ever been waved off in an airplane.  In its own way a concentric circle connecting Juliet and me. 

Arriving home I go to the supermarket with my other son Rob to pickup a few things for supper. Walking though the door I notice someone who looks familiar. Originally dismissing the person as someone else connected to the local rugby club. 3 minutes later on Mike Depford, an old friend of my sisters comes over and says “hello James” inwardly I smile. Another unexpected circle. 

What ever you think about these connections they all leave you with a warm feeling. A feeling that despite all the crap in the world currently, there is good that exists low down when there are concentric circles that all share the same centre.