Happenstance, while doing other things...

[alexpgp]

I ran across my old university roommate on Twitter in October of last year, and again on Google+ recently. For some reason, seeing his mug in my Stream today brought to mind a photo I took this past April, at the house in New York, of an advertising desk blotter that my roommate, I, and a mutual friend of ours named Jim had sold ads for, composed, had printed, and then distributed to just about everyone on campus.

Needless to say, we did not retire on the proceeds from the venture.

Anyway, I decided to send my roommate a copy of the photo, for auld lang syne. And that prompted me to ask if he'd ever heard from Jim after the three of us had parted ways. In my note, I added that I'd Googled our friend's name (quite searchable) from time to time over the years, but never got a credible "hit."

Before sending the photo and email, I did a spur-of-the-moment Google search for our friend, and there—on the first page of results—was a news article about a man of the right name, a librarian (which was Jim's interest), of the right age, from the right part of the country having been found in the California desert by hikers in 2001 after having disappeared in 1998.

It's funny how Google operates. I know I've searched for his name since 2001, but nothing relevant ever popped up. And this kind of thing—hitting a jackpot after many failures over time—has happened to me in other cases as well, over the years.

Thinking about it, taking a solo hike in a desert strikes me as so like Jim.

Rest in peace, Jim, whether or not it's you.

Comments

[bandicoot.livejournal.com]

Your story inspired me to look for a one-year roommate I haven't heard anything about since college. I found him, not under his actual first name, but his nickname, which he apparently still goes by as a professor of latin. In college, he played guitar and introduced me to bluegrass - Flatt & Scruggs, Bill Monroe, etc. His bio at the school didn't mention music, but I suspect he still plays.

So far, of the 7 roommates I had as an undergrad, one has died of lung cancer, and I still keep in touch with 5 of them.

[platofish.livejournal.com]

I think most of my roommates are either in jail or otherwise not allowed near computers!

[platofish.livejournal.com]

In my minds eye....

'in my stream' will always refer to urination!