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What's your most profound "small world" moment? (lemm.ee)

submitted 3 months ago by shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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This refers to when two or more people encounter each other in completely coincidental fashion. You might notice your old classmate from three countries away is now your waiter in a place you had no reason to expect them in, and you might say "wow, what a small world". You might notice two people who you know from completely different spheres miraculously know each other. You might recognize by chance that your penpal has made a cameo at a venue you're at.

But what was your most profoundly coincidental encounter?

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[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Huh, I looked hard and still don't get how this is unclear. The "their" isn't me because it's third person, and it can't be the region of South-East Asia or high school guy himself because that doesn't make sense. That should leave one possibility. Singular their is a thing, if you're unfamiliar.

I'll just clarify. My South-East Asian cousin married someone not in the story, and their college roommate, high school guy, was present as a guest, which was highly unexpected. Hilarity ensues.

[–] folaht@lemmy.ml 1 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Ah, singular their.
It's not that common.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

It really is. You'll never hear "someone forgot their umbrella, I hope he/she comes back for it" in real, native speech. Singular "they" has been around in that context for centuries.

Using it for a specific, know person is new. In this case it's a specific unknown person, so it's optional, but I chose to, just because it minimises personal information shared. My cousin in not nonbinary, for what it's worth.