I say Hello

There's this woman that runs another division of my company whom I pass on the street on my to/from work at least once a week. I've had email communications with her periodically, but have never had any face-to-face dealings with her. That said, I know what she looks like. And my assumption would be that even if she couldn't match my face to my name, by the point, she has to at least realize that I work for the same company.

Nevertheless, I walk past her as I go about my day and I look in her general direction, typically giving her about 5 seconds to make eye contact with me, so that I can initiate a Good Morning, Good Evening or just a head nod. Look, I'm as big of a fan of New York City Street Etiquette as the next person, but there comes a point where you're so desperate for some sort of acknowledgment, that it starts tearing apart your very being. C'mon. Just a head nod!

Well, as history could have predicted, I came upon the same predicament this morning. I spotted her outside of her building when I was about 25 yards out. For the next 20, I split time between eyeballing her and eyeballing the ground with the final 5 being directed in her general direction. I must tell you...things were looking optimistic. I could tell she could see me peripherally. But just as I reached ground zero, her head shifted away from mine... but only after I had already started the Guu of my Good Morning. I managed to salvage my respectability and turned the whole thing into a bit of a nonsensical mumble.

So, another unsuccessful attempt.

Or was it???!!???

After I had already cleared her, I heard a Good Morning come from 2 yards behind me, spoken in the exact same tone that a high school principal would say to his most anti-social student. It was as if these six months were all my fault. As if it had been me snubbing her all along. So, I gave a toothy grin and repeated it back to her, because that's all I can ever do. I wish I could have gone LD on her, but alas, I'll never be LD.

The narrator then tucks you into bed and kisses you on the forehead.

Sweet dreams.