Awkward encounters

The other day, I was at a cafe having lunch with friends when I spotted a guy I went to school with at a table across the room.

This is somewhat noticeable given I went to school over 250km from Adelaide, but is not altogether unusual, I acknowledge. 

I barely knew the guy in school, and certainly haven't had any contact in the 7 years since I graduated and moved to Adelaide. I was vaguely aware of what he was up to, largely through mindless social media scrolling, but didn't really know, and, as harsh as it sounds, don't really care too much. 

As I was sitting there talking to my friends, I smiled thinking of the familiar dance that plays out when you see an 'acquaintance ' or someone you know from a past part of your life. Often, for me, it takes the form of an interaction something like this:

1. You pretend you don't see them. Sometimes this is all that the 'interaction' involves. You pretend you don't see them - they either do the same or really don't actually see you and you go about your day without much of a second thought.

2. If you do end up acknowledging their presence, you might partake in what could be called a 'casual eye raise and nod'. Basically, you acknowledge you have seen them, that you know each other from a past life, and that neither party really wants to have a chat.

3. They approach. This is what happened to me last week. I was in the middle of figuring out what to order when I heard a loud exclaim, 'Nick! What the hell are you doing here?!' Resigned to my fate, I then sat through at least five minutes of small talk about what each of us was doing with our lives. I didn't even have enough background knowledge to ask insightful or remotely relevant questions of this guy, but did my best muttering vague generalities. He lingered too long - another unfortunate feature of many of these interactions. 

I'm sure this makes me seem harsh and as if I should be able to exist in a world in which only I make decisions as to with whom I interact. And while that may sometimes be my attitude - on my bad days - I thought it might be a point of view that many people can relate to.