Former Friends - a Previous Life.

Off work today and had to run a few errands around town, including Laundromat, Home Depot, Supermarket, and post office and I wanted to get it all done before the beach-goers clogged the roadways in all directions. So, I left at 7:30.

No one was mad enough to be doing their laundry at 8 am on a Monday and I got to read one of the three books I’ve assigned myself for the summer for the two hours it took to wash, dry and fold my clothes.

While strolling the aisles of Home Depot I saw a person who was a “friend” in my previous life who, when he saw me, turned on his heels and bolted in the opposite direction. Hmmm. Odd.

At the supermarket, I almost literally ran into a couple of gals who used to pal around with my X and me. We had known them for about seven years. They said “hello” and made a giant sucking sound as they continued right passed me without making small talk, or asking how things were going. I thought about starting a conversation, but intuition said they wanted no part of me now.

A similar incident occurred in the drug store with two guys we had known socially from parties and fundraisers.

However, at the post office the person who recognized me waited as I exited the car to give me a hug and ask how life was going these days. I had known her from my previous church and she wanted to know where I was worshipping now. I told her and we had a nice chat before we had to go our separate ways. She gave me another hug as we parted. She headed for the boardwalk to meet a friend, and I did my thing at the post office and went on my way.

Driving back I thought about these incidents. I wondered why 3 of the 4 encounters were negative, distant, and even unfriendly. That’s 75%!!! Are these people simply uncomfortable because of the break up? Are they unwilling to be friends now that I am single? Am I now persona non grata? Stranger things have happened and people can be very bizarre and irrational in their thinking.

Interestingly, I suppose it takes a life-changing event to find out who really are your friends. It’s sad, really, but that’s where it is.

More later.

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