The randomness of meeting people

Back in 1998, I was working for GE Information Systems (part of General Electric) in their North Sydney office. I was 24, had a great job with a good bunch of people, travelled for work, and lived in a pretty cool (but small) apartment in Cremorne. Life was good.

One afternoon — I think it must’ve been a Friday — I was working a bit later than usual while most of the crew had already buggered off to the pub across the road.

Eventually, I wrapped things up and headed out. Standing outside the office on Blue Street, waiting to cross the road, I remember it being either rainy or windy — I can’t quite recall. I turned to the person next to me and made a throwaway comment about the weather. We both dashed across the street, up the stairs, and into the pub.

To my surprise, this stranger and I ended up heading to the same group — my work crew. Turns out she (Kirsten) was the friend and housemate of Claire, one of my colleagues.

We hit it off instantly. We chatted for hours that night and became great friends. Over the years, we’ve shared birthdays (we’re two days apart), camping trips, dinners, and loads of laughs. These days, we don’t see each other as often — we’re on opposite ends of the country — but when we do, we pick up exactly where we left off. Just as all good friendships should.

The last time we caught up was in Brisbane, November 2024 — and that’s when the photo above was taken. We’re both 51 now, and the first birthday we ever celebrated together was our 25th. Time really flies.

Below are a few random snaps I managed to dig up.