Our lives are made up of many small parts and they include people that we see often, but whose names we usually don't know.
Recently, I was walking home when I passed a woman I'd not seen in over a year. I was delighted to see that this older woman who used the gym in the early morning as I do was still alive. I cheerily greeted her and said how lovely it was to see her again. As I said to her, "We don't know each other's names, but you're still part of my life." She agreed.
Last Wednesday, I wanted to go to the cinema so rang up and asked, "You're showing a film at 7 this evening, right?" "Right," said the man's voice at the other end of the line. "What do I have to bring to get in?" I asked. "Money," he replied instantly. But it turned out that proof that I'd been tested, been certified as recovered (from coronavirus) or had been vaccinated twice was also needed. "I've not been to the cinema since August last year," I said. "I can't wait."
When I got there, I said, "Here I am again. It's been a long time." "I thought it was you," he replied. Imagine that. I've not been there for a year and he still recognised my voice - and he doesn't know my name at all. (I know his name as it's on the cinema's website: Ronny Rübner, which I think is a great name - very alliterative.)
These days, I keep bumping into all sorts of people whose name I don't know, and it's great to see that these 'tesserae' who make up the colourful mosaic of my life have survived the pandemic so far.
You clearly have a very distinctive voice...
ReplyDeleteI think I sound like the donkey from the Shrek series of films.
DeleteWell tell whoever told you that, ee-orr, ee-orr, he ought not to say that.
DeleteNo-one told me that. It's my own opinion. I've heard myself on cassettes, and sometimes I hear an echo of myself when teaching online. Terrible.
ReplyDeleteErmm, my comment was just an excuse for a bad pun. Ee-orr, ee-orr, he ought...
DeleteI'll get me coat...