Small World

Cornerman

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Silver Member
Do you have any stories where a new co-worker or colleague somehow has a connection with your pool life, especially the AZB life?

My co-worker in St Pete upon finding out that I like to play pool was telling me story of his growing up with a table and that as a 20-something year old 25 years ago, he was in invited to play on a league. The guy that asked him was "really good."

Long story short, the really good player? Long time friend, web forum member and current Texas State Scotch Doubles Champion, akaTrigger's partner SpiderMan Marty Jones!

Talk about small world!


Stories anyone?
 
Cornerman said:
Do you have any stories where a new co-worker or colleague somehow has a connection with your pool life, especially the AZB life?

My co-worker in St Pete upon finding out that I like to play pool was telling me story of his growing up with a table and that as a 20-something year old 25 years ago, he was in invited to play on a league. The guy that asked him was "really good."

Long story short, the really good player? Long time friend, web forum member and current Texas State Scotch Doubles Champion, akaTrigger's partner SpiderMan Marty Jones!

Talk about small world!


Stories anyone?
Click to expand...

I once found out that a guy writing cue reviews I read in magazines lived a few towns over from me. Then the ass went and moved to Florida a few months later.

I do have a non-pool freaky connection from an old friend. My best friend when I lived in Lithuana stayed there when we moved to the US when I was 7. That was in 79. We lived in NY for a while, then moved to MA, a few years after we left he moved to Israel. 30 years later I get a call from my mom saying my old friend's work is having him go to their offices in the US. Those offices are 2 towns away from where I am living now. Was a nice reunion, 30 years and 2 different countries away, end up within 20 miles of each other.
 
I went to Florida once to train a new hire and ended up playing pool with the guy that ran the Louie Roberts action aware for the dcc.

Small world indeed.
 
I think this is sort of on the same line .
I moved to a really nice 55 + Mobile home park in AZ. about 4 years ago.
My wife moved out a little later after retiring from her job and the first day she was there we went for a late afternoon swim in one of the parks 2 pools.
I climb in the water which already has about 5 women and 1 guy in it and so naturally the guy starts talking to me .
' He says where are you from , I said Ohio , He said so are we.
He asked what part I said outside Columbus , he said us too .
They lived in Westerville and we lived in Grove City which is about 30 minutes apart.
He asked what I did for a living I said I worked in printing most of my life
He said "my brother in law was a printer" I asked his name and of course I knew him.
I asked what he did and he said he worked for AEP , {the electric company }
I said oh , I have 2 friends I have known since high school who worked there .
I told him their names, he had been their boss for 25 years.
No matter where I go, whoever I start talking to , it ends up with us usually saying , "it sure is a small world"
Obviously , it must be that way for almost everyone that didn't stay in their house all their lives.
Still weird though.
 
Cornerman said:
Do you have any stories where a new co-worker or colleague somehow has a connection with your pool life, especially the AZB life?

My co-worker in St Pete upon finding out that I like to play pool was telling me story of his growing up with a table and that as a 20-something year old 25 years ago, he was in invited to play on a league. The guy that asked him was "really good."

Long story short, the really good player? Long time friend, web forum member and current Texas State Scotch Doubles Champion, akaTrigger's partner SpiderMan Marty Jones!

Talk about small world!


Stories anyone?
Click to expand...

That IS a small world!
 
Cornerman said:
Do you have any stories where a new co-worker or colleague somehow has a connection with your pool life, especially the AZB life?

My co-worker in St Pete upon finding out that I like to play pool was telling me story of his growing up with a table and that as a 20-something year old 25 years ago, he was in invited to play on a league. The guy that asked him was "really good."

Long story short, the really good player? Long time friend, web forum member and current Texas State Scotch Doubles Champion, akaTrigger's partner SpiderMan Marty Jones!

Talk about small world!


Stories anyone?
Click to expand...
Twice that I remember. Once I was in a bowling alley and saw a guy who could not make a ball playing with a really nice cue. I had to see what it was and I asked him where he got the cue. He said it was a birthday present from his next door neighbor. Turned out he had lived next to Gus Szamboti.
That was years earlier and he had no real idea just how famous his old neighbor had become.

Another time We were sitting in a diner middle of the night and of course. talking pool. I had a billiard news and we were looking at it. A guy a table over asked if he could see it. He looked at it for a few minutes and handed it back. My friend asked if he played pool and he said he used to. Turns out to be Tom Jennings two time US Open champion.
 
macguy said:
Twice that I remember. Once I was in a bowling alley and saw a guy who could not make a ball playing with a really nice cue. I had to see what it was and I asked him where he got the cue. He said it was a birthday present from his next door neighbor. Turned out he had lived next to Gus Szamboti.
That was years earlier and he had no real idea just how famous his old neighbor had become.

Another time We were sitting in a diner middle of the night and of course. talking pool. I had a billiard news and we were looking at it. A guy a table over asked if he could see it. He looked at it for a few minutes and handed it back. My friend asked if he played pool and he said he used to. Turns out to be Tom Jennings two time US Open champion.
Click to expand...

What a great story. That would have been one hell of a gift to receive.
 
Knoxville isn't a huge city by any stretch... So running into people with mutal aquaintances amazes me... There used to be this older guy that would always wander thru the room I played at once or twice a day just saying hi and occasionally helping some beginner or showing them a trick shot... All I knew was his name was Rich... One day we were talking and he told me he was Dannt Di Liberto's road partner years ago... I said no kidding? When was the last time you talked to him or heard from him? He sadly stated he had lost touch and Danny didn't have his number anymore and he had lost track of Danny... I laughed and pulled my phone out.. Pulled up my contacts and hit send on my phone and handed it to Rich... Danny came down to visit about 6 weeks later...... Was pretty awesome....
 
There were 2 guys that used to come into the hall and play regularly.

About 6 years ago I decide to change jobs and moved to another facility and my first week there, I saw them both. Houston and the surrounding area is huge, so what are the odds?
 
I was operations mang. at a trucking co. back in the 90's . I had a driver , John , driving for me and he wanted his wife to drive with him . We had no sleeper teams going and it just didn't work for either of us . So they left and went to work for a co. in Mo. . We kept in touh by phone for a while then lost track of them . In 99 I bought a truck and went back on the road . I took my wife on one trip , from wa. down thru Texas , la. back up thru Mo , Ia and then back toward Wa . We stopped at the Boise Stage stop out side Boise Idaho , pulled around the large parking lot and parked right beside john and Beth , what a surprise to look over and see them . Small world , HUH .
 
My best friend since our teens died in a mill accident decades ago. Left behind a wife and children. She remarried. Being busy running a small biz, raising a child of my own, we got out of touch.

Many years after that, I was called to Jury duty. We were allowed to leave for lunch, but instructed to get away from the courthouse to avoid being influenced. So, after finding a deli & grabbing a sandwich, I still had time to kill. Began wandering aimessly around the county seat downtown. Discovered a pool hall. Since Cindy & I played a bit while dating, I went in.

Began chatting with the young guy running the place...just the two of us there. He was a good shotmaker, so I commented that he was probably the best in the place. He responded that it wasn't him...the best of the area was Matt ******. WHAT? Matt is the #3 son of my deceased buddy. I guess you could say I knew him since before he was born.

Naturally, we got back in touch. Matt is really into pool, Cindy & I just once a week recreational players while Matt is ranked grand master by the BCA...not a top pro, but a darned good amateur.

Talked with Matt last night. He's working for a well driller contractor right now...working in Colorado. Some of you in Colorado may have met him...he won a recent tournament in Denver at a place called Felt.

So, I guess you could say it was pool that allowed me to get back in contact with some "almost family" ties. I'm thankful for that....:smile:
 
Not pool related, but one of my favorite “life stories”.

The wife and I were on the return trip from Pensacola, FL to Gainesville, FL, traveling in different cars. She missed seeing me pull off the interstate and we got separated. About an hour down the road, her car started to overheat. She pulled into a truck stop to let the car cool down and to add some water. As you can imagine, she was freaking out. This was pre-cell phone days, and she had no idea where I was. She also wasn’t sure if she would be able to make it home in this new car. Feeling pretty helpless, she was about ready to cry when she look across the parking lot and saw my dad walking towards her. He drives a truck and just happened to pull into the same truck stop at the same time. Definitely one of those “the world works in mysterious ways” moments.
 
I knocked SVB flat on his rear end in the middle of a concourse at Atlanta Intl Airport one afternoon. He was in a hurry to catch his flight I guess and was running threw the concourse. He ran into me and fell on his rear and I looked down and noticed it was SVB and said SVB!!!! and he looked at me kinda puzzled and picked up his bag and ran off.
 
When I was living up in New York (Nyack) I played out of Diamond Jim's. Kenny (HighEndCues) used to have various cue makers stop by, and I met Barry Szamboti for the first time there. Fast forward ten years later, living in PA, 110 miles from there, while talking to someone in the local room about their Szam, he mentioned that Barry lives in the area. Sure enough, I look it up, he is four blocks away from my house.
 
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UK....sometime in the mid 80s
Always tried to give myself 3 days in London to end these trips.
This time a good hotel was offering a great bargain so I was untypically
living a little higher class than I usually do.
The doorman was Filipino so I asked him if he knew any pool players....
....he was delighted to find that I knew Parica and Reyes...he had watched
them play back home. We had coffee a couple times.

So...time to catch my plane home...I come down to the lobby with my bags
and find out there is a transit strike....no taxis at the usual place.....
....and no chance of getting one by phone.
The doorman called his cousin who took me to Stansted airport on time...
....he didn't want any money...I had to beg him to take 40 lbs.
...he figured us pool players should stick together.
:smile:
 
pt109 said:
UK....sometime in the mid 80s
Always tried to give myself 3 days in London to end these trips.
This time a good hotel was offering a great bargain so I was untypically
living a little higher class than I usually do.
The doorman was Filipino so I asked him if he knew any pool players....
....he was delighted to find that I knew Parica and Reyes...he had watched
them play back home. We had coffee a couple times.

So...time to catch my plane home...I come down to the lobby with my bags
and find out there is a transit strike....no taxis at the usual place.....
....and no chance of getting one by phone.
The doorman called his cousin who took me to Stansted airport on time...
....he didn't want any money...I had to beg him to take 40 lbs.
...he figured us pool players should stick together.
:smile:
Click to expand...

Some of these places are not like the US. Players are national figures. I was in Belgium and we wanted to go to Raymond Ceulemans pool room "Mr. 100". It is in Mechelen and we asked for some directions at what was like a toll booth.

As we got directions to Mechelen the girl volunteered that it was the home of Mr. Ceulemans. She has no idea that is why we are going there. He is known by everyone.
 
2 years ago I moved from Texas back to South Dakota I played league with some old friends. I go to league early one night only Guy :smile:there is someone I've never met before. I found out he's going to play on our team as a substitute. we find out we're not playing at that bar so I hop in our vehicles and go to the next bar. I see he has Texas plates so I asked where he's from and tell him I had lived in the DFW. He says he's really from Oklahoma but works construction out of Texas. on a whim I asked him if he knew Jeff melton?
He asked me how the hell do you know Jeff. I told him of our mutual friend of Jeff and ours who introduced us. I asked him about another guy and his response was damn I guess you do know Jeff!
The pool world really is a small world.
 
Played during my middle school years, and then forty years later moved to Tampa FL and worked for a year. Went to Springhill and played in Rockys Monday night weekly event. I played an opponent and after our match was over we realized we had played during our High School years, being from different towns, and yet remembered each other and are now lifelong friends with visitation :).
 
This isn't pool related other than I play pool.

I was adopted. My parents had me over at my Aunt and Uncles house.

My oldest cousin remarked that I looked just like a guy named Ronnie Peters.
My cousin Darrel went to High school and hung around with Ronnie.
Of course, my Mom told me this later as I was too young to do anything other than do stuff in my diaper.

When I was 24, one of my Biker Buds told me that he was past Pres of a Local Parent finders. he was adopted too.

He helped me find my biological parents. Guess what my Biological Fathers name was.

John Doe. See, the name Ronnie Peters has nothing to do with the story. It was just a good thread and I wanted to post something.

Nah, just kidding, Ronnie Peters was my real father. Shocked the heck outta my Mom.

The best part of the story was that I finally had a 100% Blood Brother out of the deal until his passing.

The other part was, I went to the same High School as my Brother did and we hadn't met or remembered seeing each other. Probably because both of us spent more time playing pool at different halls than going to school.

The next minor part was that I walked home from school every day. The route that I walked, took me past the house that my Brother lived in and my Biological Mother did too when she was pregnant with me.

My Brother and I, both grew up approx one mile from each other.

Instead of having a dog like most kids did, apparently my Father had a rather large monkey.

He took his monkey for walks to the ice cream shop and apparently it was a funny sight to see them both walking down the street, each with an ice cream cone.

When I was growing up, I wanted a monkey instead of a dog. Coincidence or not. I think not. Altho, after the tv show came on, Flipper, I also wanted a dolphin. I told my Mom that all we needed was a small swimming pool in the back yard. She said that I was not getting a swimming pool either.

Never got a monkey or a dolphin. My Dad bought me a mini bike but had to wait until 18 to get a Harley. I was forced to ride a 2 stroke Suzuki and a 750 Honda for 2 years. Life was tough when you are adopted.

I almost forgot. Both my Brother and father rode Harleys.
 
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