Known Unknowns

It happens again.

I am in the grocery store, and a voice calls out. "Oh, hi! So nice to see you! How's your husband?"

"Oh, hello there," I respond. "He's great." Mentally my mind races, clicking through my Rolodex brain as I try to figure out who this person is. Not her, not her, oh darn.

"Everything okay with you?" I ask, hoping for a clue. "Your loved ones well?" Notice I go straight for the generic. I learned my lesson once about asking after a husband when I didn't recognize someone; her husband had recently passed away. Now I don't even take a stab at a spouse or parent or child.

"We're fantastic, just working hard. It's so great to see you! Merry Christmas! Gotta run!" Off she goes.

I am at a loss.

Unfortunately I have hit the store when the older folks are there for their senior citizen discount. I seem to know a lot of older folks. I am stopped again.

"Oh! Hey, I read your stuff in the paper, that was a great article," says another unknown shopper. "You do such a fantastic job."

"Thanks. It's been busy, lots of meetings," I say. Mind races again. Flip, flip. Not her, not her. Oh darn. "How are things with you and yours?" There's that generic again.

"Oh, we're great, you know it's always run run run this time of the year. Joe said he thinks I never sleep when the calendar hits December." Joe, I think. Who do I know with a husband named Joe... Mind races... Rolodex flips. Darn. I have no idea. I don't know anyone named Joe.

"It is a busy time," I reply. "What about this weather? Can you believe it's in the 70s?" Since I am still clueless, I move to a safe topic.

"It's so warm it's almost scary," she confides. "Well, toodles, I have to run!"

Who are these people? I recognize their faces. I *am* supposed to know them... brain, click into gear!

Next aisle. Someone else speaks my name. I know where she works, but not her name. Still, that's something.

"How are things at the library?" I ask, happy that I know something about this person.

"I work at the bank," she says.

Sigh.