I was in a grocery store. I made eye contact with a woman in the produce section. She did a double-take then spoke.
"Oh, Hi. How have you been?"
I knew I knew her but I couldn't place it. I knew it had been a long time but nothing was coming to mind.
"I've been well, thank you. How about you?"
We chatted a bit and then she asked how my son was.
This was a clue. She didn't ask about my daughter, just my son.
The conversation continued and then she made reference to a my son's grade 7 teacher. Another clue.
I then realized that she was a parent and that I taught her child when principal of MCS. That had been twenty years ago. I didn't feel so bad for not recalling her name, but I didn't want to admit that I couldn't place her.
Two minutes after we finished talking and went in different directions it occurred to me, I knew exactly who she was. Her daughter and my son were in the same middle school classes. I felt bad that I didn't ask how her daughter was doing. I was hoping I would see her again in the store but no luck.
This reminded me of a story a good friend once told me. When he was a teenager he met a fellow with whom he shared a lot of common interests. They seemed to hit it off well.
When he next saw the guy, he sensed that the fellow couldn't remember his name.
After some chatting the other guy said, "Exactly how is it you spell your first name?"
My buddy replied, "D . . . A . . . V . . . E."
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