Random Encounters in Duluth

In our family, we often joke with my dad about him knowing people everywhere we go. After so many years in his business (retail sporting goods) it is not uncommon to run into his customers, even if we are on a fishing trip hundreds of miles from home.

I may be following in his footsteps. Yesterday afternoon, Mom and I drove to Duluth to help my sister with her move to a new house. She was quite surprised to see us, which is another entry in itself. But the funniest part of the evening went something like this--in the car on the way to Grandma's Canal Park for dinner:

Jena: Is that Cody over there?
Me: What?
Jena: Isn't that your friend Cody over there on the sidewalk? The girl he's with is wearing a BSU sweatshirt.
Me, after turning to look and only seeing the side of the guy's head: It looks sort of like him but I doubt it.
Jena: I swear that's him.

We quickly turned around and once I was facing the two people, I could tell that indeed, my sister had spotted none other than Cody James Nelson, in the middle of Duluth. We pulled over and chatted briefly before continuing on our way.

I found this encounter funny because not only is it strange to run into people randomly in odd places, but also because Jena was the one who spotted him. Jena had never actually met him, and only seen Facebook photos and his speech at Commencement, yet was able to pinpoint him from a distance.

Not something that happens every day.