Thank you for being in my movie

This evening I went to Petsmart, Target, and Kroger, in that order. Not all that interesting really, happens all the time. But what is interesting, at least to me, is the number of people I saw in the Kroger who had also been at one of those two other locations. I counted at least six.

And it wasn't like, "Oh is that the same guy from Target?" No, I mean they were instantly recognizable; I had been in close proximity to them at some point. There's no telling the number of people I didn't even pass by who ended up there as well.

When I saw these people I wondered whether or not to acknowledge them. Maybe just a simple head nod, you know, "Hey you shop at Target, man. Me too. Nice." But is a shared shopping experience even something on which to base a momentary acquaintance? Probably not. Especially if they have kids, because that would look real creepy.

So what do you do? I mean, they saw me too, they know what's up. Some of them may have even told a trusted friend they saw some guy at Kroger who they'd also seen at Target. Then that friend would feign interest before turning the conversation back to themselves. Selfish prick. This means something!

Or maybe it doesn't mean anything. But it makes it feel like other people really exist, you know? They aren't just background music or filler for all of your daily experiences. That guy really needed a new blender and a cantaloupe. How crazy is that? Now he's making smoothies and washing his car and starting a new fruit-only diet and he's a real person.

I don't know, it's like when you're a kid and you see one of your teachers in public. They aren't supposed to exist outside of this narrowly defined region of your own life. That crossover is jarring. You have to accept that everyone else just kind of has their own thing, too, and that what you do in public, they do as well.

But what do they all do in private? That's where the real differences are. And as far as I know, what that is, is anyone's guess.

The Old West