Coincidentally
My first job was in the food court of a shopping centre, picking up people's dirty dishes and cleaning up their mess (and before I go on, I must say this: The Public are DISGUSTING).
There was a couple who used to come in on a fairly regular basis, and Gay Best Friend at the time would comment on them every time they did - neither of them ever looked particularly happy but the woman in particular had a seriously soor face, which seemed to bother GBF for some reason. I (inexplicably) stayed in that job for a few years, and was in my first year at uni by the time I left. The miserable couple had continued to come in every so often the whole time I worked there.
When I started seeing them in the canteen at uni, I didn't think anything of it. Uni wasn't far from the shopping centre where I used to see them, so it made sense to see them in the same part of town. It was just a coincidence that we ended up at the same campus of the same university. If they were students attending that university, the shopping centre was a convenient place to go for lunch, so this was all this perfectly normal and not without the realm of possibility. However I continued to see this couple every so often, always together, even after I'd left uni.
I still do. A few times per year.
I now work in a completely different part of the city, and I saw the man when I was out at lunchtime today. He was without his soor faced companion (maybe he dumped her in favour of someone who cracks a smile occasionally). I've also seen them in various places across Edinburgh, and once in a completely different town.
I don't speak to them. They don't know me. And they don't know that I know them. At least, I don't think they do. But I see them, regularly. There was a period of a few months when I started to think maybe they were following me, that I was a pawn in some Orwellian kind of game, and that somebody somewhere was having a laugh at my expense. But now I think maybe I was just smoking too much weed.*
I know Edinburgh is only a wee small city, and it stands to reason that you're going to bump into people - why, just the other day the Boy and I bumped into Petifilou and her Pol in Tesco (thankfully there was no farting controversy or toilet brush related fallings-out for them to witness). I'm beginning to wonder if this couple and I have some kind of cosmic connection. If it wasn't guaranteed to sound totally absurd I might go and ask them if they agree the next time our paths cross. But there's just no good way to ask that question without coming across as a weirdo stalker who's been watching a random couple for the last 6 years (4 months and 17 days).
So; is it just me? Does anyone else have random strangers that turn up like this? Am I really a crazy stalker?
*Luckily, however, I gave that up a long time ago.
There was a couple who used to come in on a fairly regular basis, and Gay Best Friend at the time would comment on them every time they did - neither of them ever looked particularly happy but the woman in particular had a seriously soor face, which seemed to bother GBF for some reason. I (inexplicably) stayed in that job for a few years, and was in my first year at uni by the time I left. The miserable couple had continued to come in every so often the whole time I worked there.
When I started seeing them in the canteen at uni, I didn't think anything of it. Uni wasn't far from the shopping centre where I used to see them, so it made sense to see them in the same part of town. It was just a coincidence that we ended up at the same campus of the same university. If they were students attending that university, the shopping centre was a convenient place to go for lunch, so this was all this perfectly normal and not without the realm of possibility. However I continued to see this couple every so often, always together, even after I'd left uni.
I still do. A few times per year.
I now work in a completely different part of the city, and I saw the man when I was out at lunchtime today. He was without his soor faced companion (maybe he dumped her in favour of someone who cracks a smile occasionally). I've also seen them in various places across Edinburgh, and once in a completely different town.
I don't speak to them. They don't know me. And they don't know that I know them. At least, I don't think they do. But I see them, regularly. There was a period of a few months when I started to think maybe they were following me, that I was a pawn in some Orwellian kind of game, and that somebody somewhere was having a laugh at my expense. But now I think maybe I was just smoking too much weed.*
I know Edinburgh is only a wee small city, and it stands to reason that you're going to bump into people - why, just the other day the Boy and I bumped into Petifilou and her Pol in Tesco (thankfully there was no farting controversy or toilet brush related fallings-out for them to witness). I'm beginning to wonder if this couple and I have some kind of cosmic connection. If it wasn't guaranteed to sound totally absurd I might go and ask them if they agree the next time our paths cross. But there's just no good way to ask that question without coming across as a weirdo stalker who's been watching a random couple for the last 6 years (4 months and 17 days).
So; is it just me? Does anyone else have random strangers that turn up like this? Am I really a crazy stalker?
*Luckily, however, I gave that up a long time ago.
Labels: randomness
This entry was posted
on Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 7:05 pm.
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I regularly have people come up to me and claim that they've met me, while I have no memory of them whatsoever. Usually there's some sort of connection, but occasionally they seem to think I'm their hairdresser.
So, either I have a double (who cuts hair) or I'm both fairly distinctive and people remember me, but I have the memory of a fish myself.
My friend L and I were out on George Street recently. She pointed out an older couple, of which the woman was quite striking, with cropped grey hair. L said she had no idea who they were, but she'd seen them regularly around Edinburgh for the past 10 years.
So, you're not the only one!
Loads of people seem to recognise me - I did a post on it a while back. I have no idea who any of them are. It's bizarre.
I wonder if I've seen you around... *ponders*
I remember you pointing out this couple at both Uni and work (where I was the high class waitress who didn’t have to clean tables but did have to clean up beer induced puke).
Last month in Brussels BF bumped into a guy he went to school with. The guy was over for his holiday and assumed we were doing the same. It’s a small world.
Next time you should say ‘hello’.
No such luck - I just seem to attract weirdos. Keep wondering if I have chocolate flavoured peanuts in my pockets and they're just following the scent.
I agree - the public are really filthy. I have had problems with the sticky carpet in our local cinema, and now drive a bit further to a much nicer cinema, where they don't do popcorn.
Also, why do people simply chuck stuff out of their cars? It is really gross.
Change of mindset needed.
yeah I keep bumping into a complete stranger,text guy!!
I hate it when you see someone and you sort of recognise them and then you sopend the next 30 mins wondering where you know them from.
Even worse than that is when it is an ex-boyfriend but then i sometimes do play the 'sorry i've forgotten your name' game.
Oh, so you're *that* ex-waitress. Wait till I tell Mrs Farty what you said about her appearance!
Seriously, there's a big guy with a raggedy, bushy beard, who smells faintly of wee and wears a big coat even in summer. I see him marching up and down Princes Street as often as not. And sometimes on the bus.
It's never happened to me in London, but when I used to commute, I saw the same people on the platform every day. After a couple of years, you think you know people. So one day in a bar in town I saw a guy I was SURE I knew and went and said hello. He replied with words to the effect of "crazy girl from the 7.24 I have no idea who you are". oops.
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