It’s A Small World
Janet Wees
There’s a theory that each
of us is only six degrees of
separation away from anyone
else. Microsoft researchers
have proven it after checking
electronic messages among
180 million people globally.
I also have a premise that if
you’re from Saskatchewan,
there are only two degrees or
at most three. This is based
on a few experiences, and I
bet any Saskatchewanian will
support the contention.
I spent my childhood and university
years in Saskatchewan. My hometown
sweatshirt reads “Kamsack, somewhere
in the middle of Canada,” which I
intentionally wear when I travel. Whenever
I have worn it, someone usually comes up to me
and says, “I know XYZ from Kamsack!” or “I used
to live in Kamsack.”
The biggest ‘small world’ experience I encountered
occurred in Lindsay, Ontario. I was pregnant and I
had a rash all over my body. I went to a Dr. Lindsay
in the town of Lindsay. He looked at my file and the
conversation went like this:
“Hm, Saskatchewan. Do you know where Togo
(pop. 250) is?”
“Yes! I lived there!”
“Do you know M.K.?”
“She lived next door to us and was our babysitter.”
“I married her! Do you remember the jet that used
to fly between the elevators? It was me courting M.”
“OMG, that was you? My father reported you to
the authorities.”
Turns out, I had German measles in my third
month of pregnancy, and after that connection I
68 | arta.net
Janet always wears a Canadian
pin when travelling overseas.
trusted Dr. Lindsay absolutely. Almost named my
daughter Lindsay. She was fine, as it turned out.
Before Expo 86, there was a BC–Saskatchewan
reunion at BC Place. I met a friend from the
University of Saskatchewan unexpectedly but really
not a coincidence at a reunion like that. She said
she had to go to her hometown spot to meet her
brother, whom I’d never met. When we got there,
she introduced me to her brother, and who should
be standing next to him? MY brother! Turns out that
our brothers were best friends! Had been for years!
I never knew her brother’s last name; he was just
“Rob” in conversation.
Later that night at the dance, with music
performed by Connie Kaldor (naturally!), everyone
with whom I danced had a connection to someone
I knew! Whenever there was a polka, I was wont to
pull some unsuspecting soul from the fringes. One I
captured worked with my sister-in-law. Another guy
was a cousin to a woman who attended university