Sunday, June 27, 2004
The Silent Hello
Ever see someone you know and not say hello? You recognize each other, but there is no exchange of words...and hardly an exchange of acknowledgement. It feels rude.. and you feel embarassed for your reasons - whether it be not remembering the person's name or just feeling awkward - but you don't say hello and you walk away or pretend like you didn't see the person.
This weekend I saw someone that I knew... from high school..and we looked at each other briefly with recognition, then looked the other way. I immediately felt awkward...but then I thought about it and it made me sad. We used to be friends. I remember being the twelfth grade with him, sitting in class - we flirted, laughed, talked about our aspirations in life - and I remember him so clearly. He was one of the "popular" guys because he was cute and bad...what a combo (haha). And yet, somehow, we connected. But this weekend, when we saw each other, I immediately sensed an awkwardness....like we didn't want to approach each other.
The first few thoughts that raced through my mind were, "What do I say? What would be talk about? I don't want to be fake." When I looked away, I couldn't help but glance back at him to see if he was going to make the first move...and if he did, would I pretend that I just didn't see him?
The silent hello...feel so rude and awkward. Why is it that when we haven't seen someone in a long time, it becomes so wierd?
This weekend I saw someone that I knew... from high school..and we looked at each other briefly with recognition, then looked the other way. I immediately felt awkward...but then I thought about it and it made me sad. We used to be friends. I remember being the twelfth grade with him, sitting in class - we flirted, laughed, talked about our aspirations in life - and I remember him so clearly. He was one of the "popular" guys because he was cute and bad...what a combo (haha). And yet, somehow, we connected. But this weekend, when we saw each other, I immediately sensed an awkwardness....like we didn't want to approach each other.
The first few thoughts that raced through my mind were, "What do I say? What would be talk about? I don't want to be fake." When I looked away, I couldn't help but glance back at him to see if he was going to make the first move...and if he did, would I pretend that I just didn't see him?
The silent hello...feel so rude and awkward. Why is it that when we haven't seen someone in a long time, it becomes so wierd?
