during the months of september through november (roughly) i get to travel for work. this takes me all over the southern part of Ohio and beyond. this week, in two days, i put almost 600 miles on my car. this is a lot considering i'm IN THE SAME STATE THE WHOLE TIME.
i'm back at observing odd human behavior though, and this will be logged here often. this week reminded me of how universally weird people are, all over the place.
i was outside of Panera (more to come on this place that becomes my mobile office, due to wi-fi, but this is where most stories will likely hail), going to get the usual breakfast and this guy did a double take as we passed each other in the parking lot. "KATE!?!?", he said, "it's been so long!!!!"
Me: I'm sorry?!?!?
Man: Kate, right?! It's been awhile (even though this is what he is saying, clearly his nonverbals are saying something like, "i don't know this person")
Me: (in a pleasant, forgiving tone)I'm sorry, what, my name is Malissa, not Kate.
Man: I apologize, you looked familiar
Me: Well, nice to meet you, I guess I have a familiar face (and i shook his hand, because what else was i supposed to do!?)
Man: Yes, you do. I'm Gary, nice to meet you.
THEN GARY SAT THERE STARING AT ME ODDLY, LIKE I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING MORE.
Me: Ok, have a great day.
Man: Yes, you too. (and FINALLY walks away)
My travel friends that i've made on the road tell me that he was trying to pick me up, but if you know me - you know i'm not naive to this kind of advance. and i'm pretty sure he wasn't trying to pick me up, but genuinely thought i was Kate, from good times of old.
Later we went back to Panera (see a theme forming?) and the lady that waited on me earlier said to my friend, "Hey, you came back!"
My friend told her that she was never there and the lady told her that she must have a twin. Well, she does have a twin sister in real life, but neither one of them has ever been there.
It is odd that I had a twin that morning, (well, Gary thought so), and then L. had a twin that afternoon?!?! What is with this place.
I have also decided that I want to change my name from Malissa to Kate, as it feels more natural to me than Malissa does after 27+ years. Kate has a ring to it. Such a clean, crisp name.
2 comments:
Dear Kate,
Yes, I'm noticing that people ALL over the world are universally odd. :-) Especially in Mexico.
Gary was trying to pick you up. And, as your friend, I can't let you date a man named Gary. It sounds very 1976.
i would like to think that i was as pick-upable as Kate is.....however, i stick to the fact that he really was just making a mistake, b/c i know people.
if it would have been in a bar or a more pick-upable situation, i would have seen right through the motive. and, yes even then a guy can just simply be trying to make conversation, whatever, and not be trying to take it further.
i was flattered, and would ALWAYS be flattered to be hit on, because it doesn't happen all that often. ;)
also, he wasn't nasty, but was about 3 inches shorter than i.
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