I was walking into Whole Foods as he walked out. It's funny that... recognizing someone from your past, knowing that it is that person undoubtedly. Meanwhile the other person walks past without a second glance.
I look different than I did then, maybe it's why he didn't see me. I thought about calling out his name and then thought better of it. Frankly, I was shaken seeing him here, in my home town. He grew up in L.A. but north of here and the last time we'd run into each other, (at Disneyland of all places), I was still in New York.
We were best friends in San Francisco. He was skilled at many things, including drawing the hand stamp perfectly for the tiny club on Haight Street that had great shows every Monday night, (the rest of the week it was a gay bar). He'd always professed his love for me, and I maintained 100 reasons why it wouldn't work, even testing out that theory just to make sure. We'd decided one drunken Sunday afternoon in a cab rushing down Taylor Street that we'd get married if we reached 40 and we both found ourselves single.
A silly notion, especially considering that he also said that if I ever gained weight, (I was very scrawny in my 20's), that the deal was broken. And then I told him that's why he'd be single forever.
Fast forward to when I saw him in Disneyland, he with his pretty and very skinny wife with two small babes, and me, where I am now, not so scrawny but not the fatty he made me feel.
"Wow, look at you. Are you still married to that same guy?"
Clearly, he was no winner winner chicken dinner, and after a few sentences, thankfully, my then 4 y.o. saved me as she NEEDED to go on a ride RIGHT NOW.
I let him walk past me yesterday in Whole Foods and I looked around me for the lightening bolt coming my way as I noticed that he had a bit of adult acne going on and that yes, time passes for us all.
