Chance Encounter

“We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken.” -Fydor Dostoevsky

Each day I am here @EMCWorld in Las Vegas, continually I am amazed at the chance encounters with people that I know. If I were to say something like this in my hometown of Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska, it may not seem so unusual. Cedar Bluffs has a population of roughly 500 people. So it is pretty likely that I could run into someone I know in that city.

Here in Las Vegas, Nevada, at EMC World 2012, the odds grow astronomically. As I wrote earlier in the week, there are nearly 15,000 people in attendance. That alone should stagger the mind on how likely it would be to run into people you know. Add to that the tens of thousand other people unassociated with this conference, in the hotels, the casinos and on the city streets. Next to impossible you might think encountering someone you know.

But it happens. It happens when you least expect it and it happens the more you connect with people over time. Last night, our team had dinner together in the Bellagio. The dinner was at the Bellagio Buffet and was a fantastic meal. After such a great meal, it seemed a good idea to take the twenty minute walk back to the Venetian. If you have ever been to Las Vegas, and on The Strip you know when I say the sidewalks were crowded.

Every imaginable type of person in every imaginable type of condition walking, in what seemed, towards us. As we walked though, whom should I encounter but a friend from many years back. His name is Kenny and we work at the same company, EMC Corporation. So yes, the odds were likely increased that he would be in Las Vegas at the same time. But we had not seen each other in a number of years as our jobs are quite different and in completely different cities.

Yet there he was, a great hug, handshake and quick conversation. In a total of two minutes, we caught up as quickly as we could. We will try to get together for a coffee while here at the conference. The reality is that we will probably not get that chance and not see each other again for another number of years. But it shows the power of connection. It shows the kind of impact we can have on each other.

It has happened each day here at the conference, walking the halls, dining, walking back to my hotel room....chance encounters with people that I know. Reconnections taking place in the most random ways. And it doesn't happen with people I know. I am having encounters with people that I have never met before. Business contacts and other EMC employees, each and everyone of them the chance to create new and lasting relationships.

In a conference about Big Data, The Cloud and IT Transformation; it is also about the people. Those connections we make will transform our lives. Those connections will create great and lasting impressions that will create chance encounters in the future. Make every one of them worthwhile.

Stay inspired my friends.