Yes, Yes I Am . . .

​Last week I attended a public meeting of our community’s diversity committee which is chaired by the mayor of our town.  The purpose of the committee is to remove obstacles that may be faced by people moving into our community related to public services.  The meeting was to share what the committee had accomplished in its’ first six months.
The meeting was started by everyone attending giving a brief introduction and the reason they were in attendance.  I attended because of my role with our library.  Other attendees included our police chief, assistant police chief and a police sergeant.  I’ve gotten to know our police chief from other meetings.  He is a leader in community policing and diversity hiring.  He believes the faces of the police officers should look like the faces of those in our community.
At the end of the meeting the assistant chief approached me with his hand outstretched to shake hands.  He smiled and said,  “Are you the Rex Owens who wrote Murphy’s Troubles.”
I burst out in a broad smile and pumped his hand, “Yes, yes I am.”
“I was given that book several years ago and I just love it.  You captured Ireland and The Troubles, it was wonderful.”
“Well, I’ve written a second book, Out of Darkness.”  I replied.
“Oh yes, I know.  I need to get that one.  Are you writing a trilogy?  I heard someplace that you’re writing a trilogy.”
“Yes, yes I am.  I’ll complete the manuscript this year and publish in 2017.”  I explained.
“That’s just great.  Nice to meet you.”  and he walked out of the room.
I was so surprised by this encounter that I didn’t even realize until I re-told my story to my wife that the assistant chief knew I was working on a trilogy.  How would he ever know something like that?  We obviously have an unknown shared connection.
Once again it proves, you just never know.