The other day I met with Bradley J. Moore in New York City. He treated me to a grand breakfast, at which he ordered an impressive “Oatmeal Brulee.” I thought that was only something you could expect of a custard. Apparently not in the Big Apple.
Anyway, besides really enjoying my roasted potatoes (and Bradley his oatmeal), we had a rather unexpected and joyful-in-a-way-that-makes-you-freak-out experience. It went kind of like this…
He said, “So I called Chris Cree and during our conversation I found out he grew up near where I grew up.”
“Really?” I said, knowing where Chris Cree grew up. Then I continued with a growing sense of this-is-weird, “My dad lived there. Well, not really there. He lived in [place that shall remain unnamed].”
“Oh wow, I used to go to a bible study there. There was this woman named Bea. She ran it. She was wonderful.”
[I, L.L, slide down in my chair and shiver]. “Um, that’s my stepmother. Bradley, I was there. We met almost 30 years ago.”
Stunned silence.
Then I told him the house we met in is now gone. I also told him that all of my childhood homes, with one exception, are gone. Lost to fire.
“That’s something to write about,” he said, ever the writer he is deep down.
“I know. But I’m not sure how.”
Today, walking with my 10-year-old, I saw a bush that looked afire. “Let’s go searching for fire bushes,” my little girl said.
And I remembered Bradley’s words.
Golden Tree photo by Ann Voskamp. Used with permission. Post by L.L. Barkat.
{ 4 trackbacks }
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
that just leaves me wide eyed and wondering.
amazing that the two of you had crossed paths in these ways.
first aunt beezie and her bible studies, and now…blogs and writing.
i love it!
God sure does throw some interesting curve balls.
One of you should write a poem about this. Maybe both of you.
LL- You sure are quick on the draw with your writing…But then, if I saw a burning bush, then I would have obeyed it, too. I thought about writing up this bizarre experience, but it will probably take me a good while to get there.
Funny, how a (supposedly) random connection to another person online could collide with a real-life experience 20+ years ago. It’s too much, really. We all must be connected even closer than we think.
Nancy? Glynn? Have our paths crossed once before?
Probably.
BTW, LL and I got all swankified that morning and had a very late breakfast at the Algonquin Hotel on 44th and 6th. You all must go there sometime. They are famous for their Jazz Cabaret shows most evenings.
This gave me chills… and can’t wait to read more, whenever it comes.
Whoa.
Wow.
Even the torch used to create the creme brulee oatmeal ties in.
Thanks for sharing this strange and wonderful story of overlapping lives in the body of Christ.
Umm.
That’s all I’ve got. (Seems if that’s the best I can do I should step out of the comment box. But I keep coming back to this.)
I’m in the middle of reading Stone Crossings, and as though it were not real enough . . .
Amazing.
That’s good, Ann: Torch.
What a fun story! Brad, I wonder if this will fit in your Life as Geography project.
“Stay tuned next week when LL and Bradley discover…they’re siblings.”
Goose. Bumps.
That’s pretty special. Wonder what God is up to here?
It is truly amazing how this great big world of ours can get incredibly small at times! I know I’m glad to have gotten to know y’all!