"For the next ten years, you just meet them all again"

After I got close to the end of my 20 years, I began to subscribe to this self discerned philosophy: "For the first ten years you meet people, for the next ten years, you just meet them again." As I checked out Neptunus Lex's blog, his story about his time as a 3rd class "middy" connected the two of us through the subject of his post. I had another personal "deja vu" time in 1989. It was at the change of command on my ship. I had the honor (duty as XO) to be the MC, and while I was at the podium, a face in the crowd kept attracting my attention. I couldn't place it, but I knew it was familiar. Once the ceremony was over, and I had the reception on track, I sought this man out, who was not wearing a uniform, and introduced myself, with the line: "I know you from somewhere." He grinned and we began running the lists of duty stations...no match. He did tell me he had been the new CO's roommate at the Naval Academy. He, unlike Ned, had been an A-6 pilot, so I didn't concentrate on references to Surface Force places. Still no go. We racked our brains for a while longer. and he asked me if I had ever been to Newport (RI). Of course I had been, it's the mecca for Surface guys, with our important professional schools being there. Like Pensacola to any aviator. At this point, the connection came quickly, as he told me he had been in Communications Afloat School. I asked when, and sure enough, it was Dec 76. We had both been in the same class, me as an Ensign, he as a LT. He volunteered he sat in the back and slept throught most of it. I know I was up front. Back then, to us Ensigns, our LT SWOS Basic insturctor (LTs) had convinced us LTs were at least demi-Gods (even though they themselves were merely post Division Officers). For this reason, I didn't mingle with the LTs in the back of the room. Small world, smaller service, and the ability to still make a connection after 13 years, between two communities.