It's a Small World After All

Early this afternoon I trudged down to the end of the road in the midday heat to get the mail. When I opened the mailbox, I saw a large, lumpy manila envelope. "A package for me!!" I thought with glee. I pulled it out to see who it was from, but didn't recognize the name on the return address label. Then I looked more closely and saw that the package wasn't even supposed to be in our mailbox! It was addressed to someone named Karen who lives on a road that I pass by on my way to town.
I took the package back to the house with me, planning to return it to the mailbox in the morning with a note for the carrier. Then I started to think that maybe I should call the intended recipient in case it was something important or that she needed ASAP. I looked up her phone number and called, figuring I'd probably get a machine, but after a couple rings a cheery voice answered. I gave my name and explained the situation, and we arranged for her to come and get the package later in the afternoon.
Karen arrived awhile ago, bringing along a little gift for me as a thank you for calling her! We started gabbing immediately, and when I told her that we'd lived here less than a year, she asked what had brought us to Rhinelander. I began explaining that my husband works as a union rep for teachers, and she said, "You're Fred's wife??" "You know Fred??" I asked. She said she just retired after 34 years of teaching, and her husband works closely with Fred as the Rhinelander teachers' head negotiator! She hadn't really caught my last name on the phone because she thought I might be a telemarketer! I was delighted at the coincidence that led to us meeting, and we agreed that the four of us should get together sometime.
So a chance mix-up by the mail lady may lead to another new friend. And that's even better than a package!