Life Until Done

Eight million people live in New York City. So one would think that the odds of running into people you know would be pretty slim, right? Wrong.

I bump into people I know all the time and not because I am always going to the same places. Quite the contrary.
Over the past few months among the most frequent have been an ex and guys I once dated or that one of my friends dated. I see them on the subway, on the street, random restaurants or bars, coffee shops and as I run in the park.

A few favorite recent encounters:

#3: guy I went on a few dates with.
He and presumably the current girl friend were walking on the running path I was running in the opposite direction. From what I could hear, she was not happy (sidebar: I hate people who fight in public). As I passed them, there was that glimmer of recognition, a quick smile and then I was gone.

#2: a guy my friend dated for a while before he pulled the “vanishing break up” on her. We’d met a couple of times and he’d been to one of my parties.
Heading to work, I spotted him standing by the doors reading “how to win friends and influence people”.
He saw me but kept reading neither one of us wanting to say anything.

#1 The ex. I was engrossed reading The Times and ignoring the world when he sat down across from me on the subway. When his voice cracked through to me and I looked up he said: love the shoes. (I was wearing a favorite pair of magenta suede pumps with a navy dress). We chatted amicably for a while before his stop. Once he exited an elderly gentlemen who was sitting nearby leaned over and with a strong West Indian accent said: young fool, nevermind the shoes, love the legs.

I chuckled, thanked him for the compliment and went about my day.
Another one for the quote wall.