Spooky, Very Spooky, but true!!!! Options

[diapason]

Today, went to give a lesson to one of my mature lady pupils.

She was excited to tell me that she had just bought a lap-top and was now connected to Broadband - her first ever computer.

Over a pre-lesson coffee, she was telling me that she had discovered some news about her grandfather and other family history that seemingly everyone else in the family knew but here. She is going to investigate by going through hatched, matched and dispatched records.

I told her about Genes ReUnited and suggested she try there. I offered to show her how to register and introduce her to the website.

Yes, please, she said, so I logged on using MY email and password.

When It came to the "search box" I asked her for her grandfather's first name, and as I typed in the first letter, the correct name came up ............-predictive text, is that what they call it?

Believe it or not, it even predicted the surname after the first letter (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif)

This sounds ridiculous, I know, but I think we are both level-headed - but rendered speechless for some while. She has never visited my house and used my computer, this is the first computer/laptop she has ever had, and had only every HEARD of Genes R U and was a bit unsure as to what it was.

ALSO

Some 12 years ago, a very dear friend of ours died. We miss her very much.
Recently, in the village, I have noticed a lady and her husband - the lady bears a striking resemblance to our late friend.
Having seen this lady on several occasions, I began to wonder whether it could be our friend's sister, whom we had never met. It would explain the amazing likeness.

However, yesterday, I had taken Ma diapason to Morrisons, and whilst we were having coffee, this lady and her husband came into the cafe. I whispered to Ma and explained my thoughts. Ma said "why don't you go and ask her - it'll put your mind at rest"
So......I approached, humbly excused myself for probably being strange and asked if she was a relation of our friend.
She was charming, but said, no I'm no relation............but, if the lady you are talking about was the secretary to a local builder, then I knew her very well !!!!!!!!

We were both " knocked down with the proverbial feather ". They both joined Ma and I at our table, and the coincidence was deemed to be unbelievable!

[Holz Gedeckt]

He wasn't called John Smith, was he, diapason? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[teoani]

I wish I could offer a scientific explanation to this. I know that YouTube has predictive text search too.

If the name you were looking for appeared amongst a list of other names after you typed the first letter, then you aren't spooked. Else, it would be a rather interesting incident for programmers... Sometimes predictive text comes up in the order of the most popular searches. So it might be that somebody else is actively searching for the same name.

[diapason]

He wasn't called John Smith, was he, diapason? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) That would have explained it

NO!!

I'll add this tale though...........

I had known Tony since I was 19 and in 2004 he died suddenly at the age of 73. He was a well-known name in the BBC when I first met him, and was involved with amateur dramatics. When rehearsing a play, I used to go over to Lambeth Town Hall where the group met to wait for the rehearsal to end and then we would all go out for dinner.
One evening I arrived and the director pounced on me and asked me to "read" a part, as the person playing that part had not turned up.
The character's name stuck with me as an affectionate nick-name used by Tony and other cast members for years to come.

After Tony's death, in fact several weeks after, guests came for dinner. The conversation led me to mention that I was sad at the loss of an old and dear friend (whom they had never met)......and as far as I know, had never mentioned until then. Even then, few details were given because the conversation moved on.

During dinner, the one lady, sat next to me, and whom I know to be involved in the Spiritualist Church, leaned towards me, gently put her hand over mine and whispered

"Why did he call you ANGUS ?"

I looked at her in amazement and she added "....you know, your friend that died - it was his nickname for you"

I have to admit that I had to excuse myself from the table "something's in the oven!!" and pull myslef together.

I fact, my nickname was not ANGUS, but AGNES - the name of the character whose part I was reading......and nobody but another friend in London EVER calls me that, and I daresay that nobody here knows about it.

But very close!!

[fsharpminor]

A very odd thing happened last night. I woke suddenly and looked at the clock. It was 3.53 am.
That's exactly the time I was born by emergency section exactly 62 years ago !!! The time was recorded by my parents in a 'Baby Album' showing details and photos of my early life, and which is now in my possession. Very spooky ! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[Tortellini]

The strangest coincidence that ever happened to me was not witnessed by anyone so you'll have to take my word for it but please believe me!

I was about 15 and lying on my bed reading a novel that was a set school book - it was quite boring so I turned on the radio (radio 4) and I had no idea what was going to be on. Well, they were broadcasting a reading of the SAME novel and were on the SAME page that I was! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

My grandmother once called my dad at work - she got his phone number off a work letter that he had at home. She spoke to the receptionist and asked to speak to JB - he has a fairly unusual name. He duly did so and after a few confusing minutes she realised that the man she was speaking to wasn't her son. It turned out that she hadn't phoned his work place but the number she had used was actually a pay roll number - that put her through to a completely different company in a different town that just happened to have someone working there with the same name. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[chocolatedog]

I remember once going for a walk with my sister, taking our 4 dogs for a walk and we intended to go round the campsite and down to the river which was a common enough evening walk...... but as we walked along the main road I began to get a distinctly uneasy feeling about it and thought we should go somewhere else instead. I didn't say anything as I thought my sister would think I was being stupid, but eventually I said "I know you might think I'm being daft but I'm feeling funny about going down to the river just now"...... and she said "I'm so glad you said that - so was I!" So we walked round the playing fields instead. I'll never know whether anything would have happened if we'd gone down to the river, but it's still strange that we both had the same thought on that particular evening, when we'd usually walk that way without any worries. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

[SueHM]

I joined Genes Reunited years ago and after an initial flurry of interest, frankly didn't bother with it again (even though I think it is a great website etc). I have stacks of unread messages. Probably because of this thread, I actually opened a message that came today and unlike most of the others, this appears to be from someone who could really be a relative - dates and places etc all match up. Have e mailed back and am anxiously awaiting a response..... could be my Mum's long lost cousin!

Couldn't think what had prompted me to open the message until I came back on here. Not so spooky then, but thanks for giving me the prod I needed. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[andante_in_c]

I found some interesting info about my grandmother's family from a chap I got in touch with through Genes Reunited. He had an extensive family tree with over 700 names on it. While I was searching through for the family connection I found a branch that led down to one of my students! The odd thing was that the part of my family that was connected with hers was a Yorkshire branch, and here we both were, south of the Thames. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)