The Rev. Lynn is an Episcopal priest in Southern California

"In May of this year my husband David and I had been traveling with friends from northern California. We had spent two weeks in Southern France and two weeks in the Tuscany area of Italy. Our month of travel was over, our friends had left for home and David and I had a few days alone in Paris.

On the Sunday before we left for home we had had a rather large and late lunch and were looking for a light supper. We walked from our hotel past the American (Episcopal) Cathedral to a street with many bistros. After reading eight or ten menus we selected a small unpretentious place.

We were seated at a table for two in a section that had four tables. To our left was a young couple. They heard us ordering, determined that we were American and menu literate, and asked us several questions about the menu. Our conversation continued. As we were eating and talking a tall man with dark hair came and sat down to our right. He looked familiar but we couldn't place him.

As we talked it came out that the young couple was from the Santa Clarita Valley (our home) and while we were talking with the couple and my back was turned the tall man said to me, "Rev. Lynn?" He was a former parishioner who was also from Santa Clarita. Now what are the chances of five people, who have never met, from the same relatively small community being seated next to each other in a Paris bistro! It really is a small world!"

09/10/2002