07/21/2024
I saw Chris today. I'm not friends with Chris, never have been. About 8 years ago he was a regular at a craft beer and pizza takeout job I had. He was the type of customer that was always friendly and would stand there and hold a short conversation with you, the ideal type of customer I was always happy to see.
I started seeing him around town and I would always make a point to say hi to him, making sure he knew I remembered his name. I wanted to give him that fleeting feeling many men don't experience at his age, the simple, but impactful feeling of being seen, acknowledged. Years would go by without me seeing this guy. He seemed excited to see me in the parking lot of Lowes four years ago, and another time he seemed like he was in a rush.
I decided to not say hi to Chris a few years ago if I saw him again. I By putting the ball in his court, it was now up to him to speak up if we ever ran into each other again, whenever that was to be.
These chance moments never consisted of anything more than being cordial, we didn't stand around like old friends catching up much. Just quick, brief updates on how we were doing and what we were up to at the moment.
It's been two years since I've seen him, our nearly decade-long sporadic meetings would soon occur again, unbeknownst to either of us. There he was! I saw him immediately after I entered the store, but at the same time remembering the promise I made to myself. Our eyes locked and I smiled as I looked away, not to make it awkward. "I wonder if he'll say hi. He looks like he's gained a lot of weight, I have too. Nothing wrong with that. I wonder if something happened. I hope he says hi." I thought to myself, as I continued to browse the aisles of the small Wawa we shared in that moment, only a few paces away. Chris did not say hi. He finished checking out and left the store with what he was there for, which apparently didn't include continuing our near decade long tradition of sharing our thoughts and feelings surrounding our shared experience of immortality. Bye, Chris!
