When I was in high school, I wasn’t really what you’d call popular, but I wasn’t disliked either. In fact, I spent multiple years referring to myself as notorious, which is partially true. I mean, the “generally well-known” part. The whole “…for bad deeds” — not so much. At least, I hope not. The same sort of thing happened in college, on a much smaller scale seeing as the student body was around 18,000. It would have been awesome if all of them had known me, but by the time I graduated I had a fair amount of friends (the close pool was around 20 and the larger pool extended to around 100).
And even nowadays, when I go to the grocery store or the mall, I often run into people I grew up with (back in a totally different state), which totally baffles Husband. He thinks I know everyone.
If only.
So, today I went to lunch with a friend who is graduating college and leaving me for forever and eternity (well, unless she becomes a teacher in the same state as I am living). Arby’s offers coupons in the mail for two people to eat for $8.99. That’s kind of an awesome deal. I have a lot of fried foods in my belly and Horsey Sauce, and frankly there’s not a lot much better than that.
As we sat there, munching and chatting, a close friend of hers walked past our table, and since they’re still in college and still relatively youngish, this resulted in peals of giggles. Literally, peals. It was probably the sweetest reunion I’ve ever seen, and they’d just seen each other the day before. We continued on with lunch, when a couple I know from Church (not super well, but enough to recognize them) walked right on into the restaurant with their new baby, and I mentioned to Meisha that I saw people from Church too! I smiled, I waved, and I was met with the blankest stare I’ve ever seen a man give another woman.
I figured waving some more would help him recognize me because…you know. Waving can do that, I guess. Instead, he lifted his head up, in a very slow “whassup” motion, and turned to the counter. His wife looked my way and I thought, “Surely she will recognize me.”
You know how couples start to look like each other the longer they’re together? Same blank stare, folks.
Picture courtesy of zazzle.com
But my dignity was still somewhat intact, and I recently had a motor installed in my arm, so the waving kept happening — in short bursts, somewhat frantic.
Here’s what I learned about waving today — it, in no way, helps people recognize you any better than when you’re not waving. There was no recovering from this experience. Meisha saw the wave, she saw the blank stares, my patheticity was undeniable. She had friends, apparently I did not.
…And the notoriety ends. It was a good run.
The Low Point 