So I am on Active Rain today, posting comments on the AR vs REW who has more juice thread and out of the blue I get an email from another member of AR and to my surprise it is Ilona Beedie someone I have actually known for probably 12 years now but have not seen or spoken to in forever. Total shocker and a very nice surprise. It turns out she is now into home staging, and I am in Real Estate Web Development - Cool!

Just because I am so stoked about it, let me share a little history.

I first met Ilona when I was 15 years old - I worked at a local gas station and her husband Bill (Super nice guy) was a mechanic at the subaru dealership next door. At that time, we only saw each other once in a while when she came into the store for something, was visiting Bill or wanted gas etc - she was always super friendly to talk to and very nice.

I left the station when I was 16 and did not see her for a while.

Some time later when I was in college, I got a job in the warehouse at Sears to help pay for school and support my family. To my pleasant surprise there was Ilona - she was working for the credit department signing people up for sears credit cards and the like. Once again, I got to see her and chat occasionally and still very much enjoyed her company - (I even ended up dating her boss who was MUCH older than me at the time, that was an interesting twist)

Later on she ended up leaving (Before I did) - and about a year later, a friend of mine shows up with this very pretty girl and is seeing her - I find out a few weeks later that she is Ilona's daughter Moia (I don't know if I spelled that right)

I know I know - small town lol

They didn't last long, so once again my pleasant encounters with Ilona were at an end.

I know it is hard to believe but there is MORE!

A few years after that, my mother started renting a home downtown, and guess who her landlord is! That is right Ilona! It wasn't until today that I realized just how many times our paths have crossed.

Ok, end of a long story I promise - back to the email.

Turns out she is not far from my office and she is coming in to visit me tomorrow at REW headquarters - talk about some weird fate! I am very excited to catch up and see what she has been up to, and who knows we may even be able to work together.

Either way, I think this is a great testament to social networking in general, and I am especially thankful for my association with AR, without which I likely would not have crossed paths (At least not as easily) with someone I always considered a friend.

It also goes to show that all this chatting, blogging etc that we do online is not just about increasing SERPS, or making long distance contacts - social networking online translates into real life relationship building and is a tool that reaches far past the confines of a 19" monitor.

Thanks again AR