(no subject)

You know those familiar strangers, people you see often enough on the T or at your favorite coffee shop or lurking in the bushes outside your home that you think you ought to know them, but never speak?

Well, there's a guy I've been seeing around on the T now for years. We used to be on the same train from Porter to Back Bay every day, until I moved closer to Davis; now I see him now and again, but not every day. He's tall and skinny with glasses and long hair and a beard. He looks like someone I ought to know -- if not myself, then surely one of the many geeks or fen in my life must know him. And I've always been curious what the connection would be, but I don't think I look particularly identifiable as a geek, so I don't think he's ever noticed me.

Anyway, today I ran into him at a sandwich shop when I went out for lunch. So I finally went up to him and said "OK, this is weird, but I've been seeing you around for years, and you look like someone I should know, so I thought I'd introduce myself." Turns out he's a violin maker, not a geek, but he did a stint in industrial design, so we have some slight career connection. He has a brother who's involved in the arts, so I mentioned Theatre@First and gave him a card for the show. I'm sure he thought it was all very odd, but at least now after years and years of looking at him and wondering, next time I see him on the T I can just say "Hi, Chris!"

(no subject)

You know those familiar strangers, people you see often enough on the T or at your favorite coffee shop or lurking in the bushes outside your home that you think you ought to know them, but never speak?

Well, there's a guy I've been seeing around on the T now for years. We used to be on the same train from Porter to Back Bay every day, until I moved closer to Davis; now I see him now and again, but not every day. He's tall and skinny with glasses and long hair and a beard. He looks like someone I ought to know -- if not myself, then surely one of the many geeks or fen in my life must know him. And I've always been curious what the connection would be, but I don't think I look particularly identifiable as a geek, so I don't think he's ever noticed me.

Anyway, today I ran into him at a sandwich shop when I went out for lunch. So I finally went up to him and said "OK, this is weird, but I've been seeing you around for years, and you look like someone I should know, so I thought I'd introduce myself." Turns out he's a violin maker, not a geek, but he did a stint in industrial design, so we have some slight career connection. He has a brother who's involved in the arts, so I mentioned Theatre@First and gave him a card for the show. I'm sure he thought it was all very odd, but at least now after years and years of looking at him and wondering, next time I see him on the T I can just say "Hi, Chris!"