Photo credit: foilman on Foter.com / CC BY-SA
My kids recently explained the theory of six degrees of separation to me. Of course this concept existed in Cleveland long before they came up with a clever name for it. Cleveland is a “small town” city so chances are whether you’re an East Sider or a West Sider, there is someone that connects you.
If you grew up on the West Side and were either Irish or Italian and Catholic, chances are it’s a two degree separation. This was both a blessing and a curse according to my children growing up. Coming from such a large family and extended family, everyone knew who you were. That was enough to get you a job or a reference on a college application. On the other hand, woe betide you should you misbehave in anyway as it didn’t take long before word got back to family and friends.
The old adage, it’s not what you know but who you know that counts, is true in so many ways. And of course, it’s not limited to Cleveland. I recall the story of a friend from Youngstown who went shopping for a pinball machine for his kids. Having tried out a few machines he finally decided on the perfect model. He looked at the price tag and asked the salesman if that was his best price. The salesman looked him up and down and asked, “Who do you know?”
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