Degrees of Separation are Relative

Yesterday, I got a call from a recruiter who wanted to know if I worked with a guy named Hervey Evans. When I responded "no", the recruiter thought that it was odd because we both had consulting experinece with Erasmus. As soon as I heard this, I knew that Hervey Evans was a distant relative.

After a web search, I found Erasmus Inc.. When asked about the name of the company he responds. "Erasmus is actually my first name. My full name, Erasmus Hervey Evans, is an old family name handed down since the 1820s. (No, really — it’s a Southern thing.)"
My Grandfather's name was Erasmus Hervey Evans TAYLOR. After some investigation, my grandfather and Hervey's grandfather were first cousins. That means Hervey and I are third cousins and share the same Great, Great Grandparents.

We've not met yet, but I suspect it will be a very enjoyable get together. It seems our lives have run many parallel paths to include our mutual love for the English language, our respective Erasmus Consulting firms and the fact that we are the only Taylor/Evans (that we know of) who claim the midwest as our home (not to be mistaken for our shared Carolina heritage).

It may be just a subtle thing, but knowing I have family (kin) within a few hours drive, makes me feel a bit more at home in the upper midwest, up here, up 'Nort'.