Intersection in life

"Is he an Italian artist, isn't he? ...yeah, he made maps? Boetti?" On the way to the dentist last Monday, when I was reading a biographical book, " Alighiero e Boetti, Shaman-Showman," on a bench at Union Square station, a guy sitting next to me started talking to me. "He died young, right?" "Yes, for his brain cancer." Our conversation continued from the bench on Union Square to 8th street on N line. I told him that I am working at Esso Gallery, where 3 shows of Boetti were exhibited. He knew Esso in the former place, which was in LES and often went to see the shows. He didn't know that the gallery had moved to Chelsea like every gallery, so I gave him the new address. We shook hands and he got off the subway. It was like 5mins talk, yet was surely precious and very NYish. This kind of encounter would happen every corner of the streets in the city. It is just an encounter, but who knows this will be the significant meeting later! In fact, almost 3 years ago, I met an Austrian guy in a supper market in UPE and we sort of fell in love with each other immediately spending together for a week. He left, as he was in the middle of traveling. However, we kept in touch by email for a long time and became really good friend, even though we've never seen each other since then. I met Mr. 99 on the bus station and now he is my editor...! Of course, some people were passer-bys, yet I never forget the feeling of the people. Life is totally unpredictable and here “unpredictable” can be anything. I have no idea who he is and I may not see him ever again. I just LOVE this coincidence and always wondering like, if I hadn't read the book, if I hadn’t left my house on that time, if I hadn't been working at Esso, if I hadn’t had huge toothache, if I hadn’t' come to NYC in the first place, (I have to stop here, but I can go back until the fact of my birth) I would not have met him and had the conversation.... isn’t it crazy? At least, this made me a day! Thanks to the great and world widely well-known Italian artist, Boetti, whom I hadn't known until I started working at Esso, brought this incident. He connected his creation, Afghan culture and world together in his map embroideries. Like that, here in NYC, we, New Yorkers, interweave our stories and drama in layers and layers and become invisible yet sensible art works, which is why this city is beautiful and we can’t stop loving.