(no subject)

[gilana]

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!"

Comments

[jtdiii.livejournal.com]

I was at a friend's wedding recently and we were all comparing notes to determine just how we were all connecte, other than through the bride. It was rather humorous to see just how many connections we came up with.