Subject co-incidences

I keep a diary, not so much about me but life around me, and what takes my interest. Having heard your R4 item I decided that 'The odds of coincidence' would be my theme today, Saturday 14 January. I have been in regular contact with Henri, my U3A economics tutor, and a few days ago sent him a long epistle entitled 'When machines take over - the effect on jobs.' Yesterday I listened to David Hockney and picked up an interesting article on him in The Times. This formed my diary entry with the title 'Art of the future'. This put in context my rationale for future jobs and, crucially, the need for imaginative thinking. I saw the connection immediately and decided to send Henri a copy. Imagine my surprise when Henri responded this morning saying what a co-incidence as The Economics of Art is his topic for our session this coming Monday. What a co-incidence too that I was born on 8 May 1945, V E Day and that I worked with a chap born on Armistice Day and also a lady born on VJ Day. All co-incidences yes, but long odds? I doubt it. For example, Henri has a huge list of topics and it is quite reasonable for him to make the connection with art. He did not know this but I sent U3A a list of philosophy topics the other day in response to an invitation. I included the theme ‘When Philosophy Meets’. Two examples were When Philosophy Meets Economics and When Philosophy Meets Art! I have yet to tell Henri about these. I do not need to. He seems to be clairvoyant! Is my birth date that much of a coincidence? I doubt that too. I am the youngest of a very large family and my mother was 44 when I arrived. Allow a year either way as the next youngest is two years older than me and presumably my mother only had a year or so left of child-being capability. So the odds start to reduce significantly. The odds of three co-incidental war dates are rather more impressive and especially so as they signified the end of hostilities. Stuart S