Small World, Part III (VI? IX?)
Today I went to my new yoga class for the first time -- I graduated myself to Yoga 2 for a bit more challenge, but then promptly missed the first two weeks (so much for the challenge thing). After class I was putting away my mat when one of my fellow yoga practitioners walked up to me and said, "Excuse me, but isn't your name [Pangea]? We met at [The MegaConference] last fall." And indeed we had -- although I hadn't recognized her in yoga clothes with her hair back, she had somehow managed to recognize me in yoga clothes with my hair back. Impressive. We chatted for a while and walked to the dressing room where, while changing, she suggested that we exchange phone numbers and make plans to hang out soon, since her Spookytown-area research will continue only until the end of the summer, at which point she'll return to her home institution in another state. "I wish we could hang out now," she said as we exited the dressing room, "but I have a friend waiting for me somewhere outside and then we're going to dinner. Oh look, he's right here."
As we walked up to her waiting friend, I realized with a start that I knew him already. Knew him rather well, as he was the physicist I had gone out with twice in the fall, had had a small world experience with between these two dates, and then had somewhat brutally rejected after date two. (Brutal in the sense of unwanted and unexpected on his part, I think, but not unkind. He had been so delightful by e-mail! Such a good-hearted and kind person!And so irritating when interacting face-to-face!)
"This is my friend," said my classmate and colleague.
"Hey, [Rejected Physicist]," I said, "nice to see you." (This was a lie.)
"Hey," he said back, looking uncomfortable and a bit unhappy.
"You already know each other?" she asked in surprise.
"Yeah, we've met, " I said. "Because the world, you know, is about this big." I then promised that I'd call her soon and booked the hell out of there.
As I was walking down the street headed back home, I took out the roll I had bought earlier at Whole Foods in preparation for post-yoga hunger and started munching thoughtfully. I then began to laugh and, of course, a piece of roll lodged in my throat and I started coughing violently. The man walking towards me on the sidewalk looked at me concernedly -- as I looked back and tried to say with gesture and my expressive eyes, "It's ok, just some roll in the throat," I realized that he was the same guy who had been standing in front of me in line when I had bought the very roll that was trying to kill me at that moment -- and mind you, this purchase had been many blocks away and three hours earlier.
I guess if these things come in threes then I'm all set for a while.
As we walked up to her waiting friend, I realized with a start that I knew him already. Knew him rather well, as he was the physicist I had gone out with twice in the fall, had had a small world experience with between these two dates, and then had somewhat brutally rejected after date two. (Brutal in the sense of unwanted and unexpected on his part, I think, but not unkind. He had been so delightful by e-mail! Such a good-hearted and kind person!And so irritating when interacting face-to-face!)
"This is my friend," said my classmate and colleague.
"Hey, [Rejected Physicist]," I said, "nice to see you." (This was a lie.)
"Hey," he said back, looking uncomfortable and a bit unhappy.
"You already know each other?" she asked in surprise.
"Yeah, we've met, " I said. "Because the world, you know, is about this big." I then promised that I'd call her soon and booked the hell out of there.
As I was walking down the street headed back home, I took out the roll I had bought earlier at Whole Foods in preparation for post-yoga hunger and started munching thoughtfully. I then began to laugh and, of course, a piece of roll lodged in my throat and I started coughing violently. The man walking towards me on the sidewalk looked at me concernedly -- as I looked back and tried to say with gesture and my expressive eyes, "It's ok, just some roll in the throat," I realized that he was the same guy who had been standing in front of me in line when I had bought the very roll that was trying to kill me at that moment -- and mind you, this purchase had been many blocks away and three hours earlier.
I guess if these things come in threes then I'm all set for a while.
posted by Pangea at 7:53 PM
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