Maybe's and What-if's
In the mad rush to buy school supplies, something strange happened...I saw someone I knew. But not, like, someone I see every day. No. A girl who was in my 4th/5th grade combination class. I was just a lowly 4th grader while she was in 5th grade. We never had a class together after that, I would just see her in the hallways (even up through high school) and recognize her from way-back-when.
Odd isn't it? As the painfully shy elementary/middle schooler that I was, I didn't ever get to know her (or many people for that matter). But when we saw each other at Kmart, we not only recognized each other, but we stood and talked for a half an hour. It wasn't even a forced or uncomfortable talk, it was just like old friends. I learned where she is going to school, what classes we liked in high school, and why pink containers are awesome.
Just think of how many people you skip out on. People you never really meet. You might know them by name, or recognize their face, or maybe you don't. Considering the long and natural talk the Kmart girl and I had, we probably could have been friends. But I will most likely never see her again.
Certainly I'm not friends with every person I could be. There must be people that I would be great friends with...but somehow we never meet. Sometimes I think about what would have happened if I had not moved here. It is by sheer luck I live in Davidson County. When I was 3 my parents and I moved from Maryland. Who would I have known in Maryland? What would be different about me, surly something would be different because I think friends play a big role in shaping you. Or maybe that isn't how it works, maybe you are naturally the person/personality you are and you would just be attracted to the same type of people no matter where you are. In general, people here can't be that different from people elsewhere.
My parents just happened to get a house in Davidson County. I could be going to a high school in Forsyth County. Would I be the same person? Would I have been as pushed academically, or did my drive come from the inside? Maybe that drive came from friends, but surely a different school would be just as competitive. Possibly no, I can't say that I have ever been to a different high school to "test it out." This whole deal has to many "maybe's" and "what-if's ."
Just give it a thought for a while. It will make your head hurt.
Odd isn't it? As the painfully shy elementary/middle schooler that I was, I didn't ever get to know her (or many people for that matter). But when we saw each other at Kmart, we not only recognized each other, but we stood and talked for a half an hour. It wasn't even a forced or uncomfortable talk, it was just like old friends. I learned where she is going to school, what classes we liked in high school, and why pink containers are awesome.
Just think of how many people you skip out on. People you never really meet. You might know them by name, or recognize their face, or maybe you don't. Considering the long and natural talk the Kmart girl and I had, we probably could have been friends. But I will most likely never see her again.
Certainly I'm not friends with every person I could be. There must be people that I would be great friends with...but somehow we never meet. Sometimes I think about what would have happened if I had not moved here. It is by sheer luck I live in Davidson County. When I was 3 my parents and I moved from Maryland. Who would I have known in Maryland? What would be different about me, surly something would be different because I think friends play a big role in shaping you. Or maybe that isn't how it works, maybe you are naturally the person/personality you are and you would just be attracted to the same type of people no matter where you are. In general, people here can't be that different from people elsewhere.
My parents just happened to get a house in Davidson County. I could be going to a high school in Forsyth County. Would I be the same person? Would I have been as pushed academically, or did my drive come from the inside? Maybe that drive came from friends, but surely a different school would be just as competitive. Possibly no, I can't say that I have ever been to a different high school to "test it out." This whole deal has to many "maybe's" and "what-if's ."
Just give it a thought for a while. It will make your head hurt.
posted by Emoney at 11:19 PM
2 Comments:
It's so weird...I had this same experience today. Except, well, I didn't go and talk to the person. I was sitting in the middle of the mall in one of the chairs on my break and I saw this guy, Mitch, from my like 7th or 8th grade class. He had moved at the end of the year so I'm assuming (now) that he didn't move very far from Davidson County. Now this kid and I weren't the best of friends - we weren't even really friends - but he was a nice guy that I had enjoyed talking to back then. But I didn't say anything to him because it was obvious that he didn't recognize me.
Earlier I had saw a girl who graduated last year named Jodi who I think was actually supposed to graduate the year before or maybe two years before. Anyway, she was in my freshman physical science class and ever since then - even now that I am a rising junior and never had another class with her - we always say hey to each other and give each other a hug. I would say she is a person that really affected my life and I always wonder if I affected hers and that's why she greets me so warmly or if that's just the way she is with people.
And finally, I saw another two people that had graduated last year and a rising senior. One of the guys is named Nick (he graduated last year) and the girl (the rising senior) is named Jamie. I have known Nick forever - like since before sixth grade - and I've been friends with his sister for at least that long. But I had always been more about his sister than him even though I always said hey to him and asked him what he was doing. I rarely spoke to Jamie and the other guy - I've seen him but don't even know his name. So these three came up to me while I was still chillin' in the chair on my break and we have a really long conversation - Jamie talks to me and even the guy I don't know talks to me. Do they think I'm cool because Nick and I seem to know each other and get along so well or am I just that cool? (Yeah, right.)
I'm glad I'm working at the mall or I may have never seen - or spoken to - some of these people ever again.
Thanks Meg for the comment.
I would also like to thank Josh for taking the music off the blog. While it is not on the blog, I would encourage people to click the "Movie of the Week Winner" link to the right if you would like to hear it.
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