As the weather has been warming up, I have been getting outside more. Generally this just means me walking around the pond where I live, until summer hits when then I get to add sitting at the pool to my list of activities. But nevertheless, despite being only two activities I'm still out in public and that means I'm bound to run into some people.
What I like about walking around the pond is that you get to see all the old faces and new ones. During winter I never know who have stayed around and who have left. So when Spring rolls around I get to see the old faces of those that stayed. These people tend to be friendly and chatty. The new faces are interesting too simply because they are new.
This year as I've been walking around there's been a new girl who runs or walks around a lot. I found that I always ended up walking in the opposite direction of her, which means that since the pond is circular we have to pass each other. And every time we passed she would say "hi" or smile. Speaking of which, the pond is only about a mile in circumference. So you can pass some people several times during the course of a walk. The first time the greeting is easy enough. You just say "hi" and walk on. But the second, third, and however many times after the first start getting more difficult. I tend to always smile. So on the 2nd time I'll smile at the person, and the third time too. After that things start getting too awkward for me, so I try to lighten things up with a comment about the number of times we've passed. I always walk so a 4th time pass which I think has only ever happened twice only happens with runners. So I'll just grab my heart and pretend to be faint just watching them. Still it would be very helpful if there were some Miss. Manners guide to how to approach multiple but brief encounters.
After last Saturdays latest failure I wasn't too worried because at the very least there was this girl who runs around the pond and always smiles. So on Sunday I decided to walk around the same direction she runs. See I always walk in a different direction each time. So if I go clockwise on Monday then on Tuesday I'll go counter-clockwise. But she always runs in the same direction and it just so happened we were always out at the same time when I was going in the opposite direction. So this time I went out walking in the same direction as she typically runs. Now you may be thinking I'm a creep for waiting by my window all day until I see her running and then I know when to take my walk. Well no I don't do this. I just go out and walk a lap or two and then head in. If she's out there it is by chance. Okay, there's a little more strategy than that on my part but it's mostly chance. I do tend to time things based on when she is typically about.
I keep going on tangents. So I'm walking in the same direction and when I went out she happened to be running. I walked in the same direction because I wanted to see what she was going to do when she passed. My hope was that she would slow to a walk and join me. But I was expecting a wave as she ran on. Well for once my hope was actually granted because when she caught up to me she slowed down and walked. And for the next hour we talked as we walked around the pond.
Then yesterday I was out walking, again it just happened to be in the same direction as her at the same time she was out, and again we talked. Not for an hour, but for a decent amount of time.
So that's wonderful. Still no phone number or planned meetings but this isn't a bad start.
What I like about walking around the pond is that you get to see all the old faces and new ones. During winter I never know who have stayed around and who have left. So when Spring rolls around I get to see the old faces of those that stayed. These people tend to be friendly and chatty. The new faces are interesting too simply because they are new.
This year as I've been walking around there's been a new girl who runs or walks around a lot. I found that I always ended up walking in the opposite direction of her, which means that since the pond is circular we have to pass each other. And every time we passed she would say "hi" or smile. Speaking of which, the pond is only about a mile in circumference. So you can pass some people several times during the course of a walk. The first time the greeting is easy enough. You just say "hi" and walk on. But the second, third, and however many times after the first start getting more difficult. I tend to always smile. So on the 2nd time I'll smile at the person, and the third time too. After that things start getting too awkward for me, so I try to lighten things up with a comment about the number of times we've passed. I always walk so a 4th time pass which I think has only ever happened twice only happens with runners. So I'll just grab my heart and pretend to be faint just watching them. Still it would be very helpful if there were some Miss. Manners guide to how to approach multiple but brief encounters.
After last Saturdays latest failure I wasn't too worried because at the very least there was this girl who runs around the pond and always smiles. So on Sunday I decided to walk around the same direction she runs. See I always walk in a different direction each time. So if I go clockwise on Monday then on Tuesday I'll go counter-clockwise. But she always runs in the same direction and it just so happened we were always out at the same time when I was going in the opposite direction. So this time I went out walking in the same direction as she typically runs. Now you may be thinking I'm a creep for waiting by my window all day until I see her running and then I know when to take my walk. Well no I don't do this. I just go out and walk a lap or two and then head in. If she's out there it is by chance. Okay, there's a little more strategy than that on my part but it's mostly chance. I do tend to time things based on when she is typically about.
I keep going on tangents. So I'm walking in the same direction and when I went out she happened to be running. I walked in the same direction because I wanted to see what she was going to do when she passed. My hope was that she would slow to a walk and join me. But I was expecting a wave as she ran on. Well for once my hope was actually granted because when she caught up to me she slowed down and walked. And for the next hour we talked as we walked around the pond.
Then yesterday I was out walking, again it just happened to be in the same direction as her at the same time she was out, and again we talked. Not for an hour, but for a decent amount of time.
So that's wonderful. Still no phone number or planned meetings but this isn't a bad start.
1 comments:
I like this! And there is nothing creepy about being strategic about hoping to run into someone.
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