Odd coincidence

On Monday mornings, I take John (2 yrs) to swim lessons at the local health club. While he swims for 30 minutes and then plays in the hot shower for 30 minutes, I try to catch up a bit on work. Today, I was reviewing the textbook section that I would be teaching from later in the day. It seemed like standard enough poolside reading to me:
Transport Processes and Separation Process Principles (Includes Unit Operations) 4th edition

First, a friend (fellow mother from James's original Lamaze class playgroup) walked by and commented that the reading didn't look like much fun to her. She kept on walking.

Then, a woman I didn't know edged closer and closer, staring at me. This was a bit more unsettling than it might otherwise have been because of all the social mores involved in the fact that I was sitting fully clothed outside John's shower stall while she was fully nude as she approached me after her own shower.

When she realized that I had noticed her staring at me, she spoke. "What class are you reading that for?" she asked with some incredulity.

"I am teaching at ______ College. In engineering."

"Oh, I am teaching a class using the same book right now. At WSU."

Sure, why not. There are probably at least 5 women in the state of Michigan teaching a chemical engineering course right now. Why not have two of them be using the same text and meet over a public shower? (Never mind that this requires her to have a 2.5 hr commute to work, which she has apparently been doing for the past several years.)

Lesson learned? Mixing work time and Mom time in my profession tends to be a bit of a hindrance to my meeting and getting along smoothly with other women. But never discount the possibility for the random statistical event.