In the 鈥�80s, after footloose travel and a stint living in Greece, I decided to get a career and enrolled in a masters program in library science. In my final semester I took a class that introduced us to the latest trend in libraries - computers! When the guy sitting next to me said hello, I felt I鈥檇 seen him before. 鈥淒o I know you?鈥� I asked.
鈥淣ot sure,鈥� he replied, 鈥渂ut it feels like we鈥檝e already met.鈥� We recited our lists of likely path crossings and came up blank. Throughout the semester we floated possible scenarios. None fit.
On the last night we had a social gathering. 鈥淚 finally figured out how I know you,鈥� he said.
He took a breath and looked me in the eye. 鈥淭wo years ago, you took a trip to Greece. To an island you鈥檇 once lived on.鈥�
鈥淵es!鈥� I said. 鈥淗ow did you know?鈥�
鈥淵ou were traveling alone and flew out of JFK airport in New York. It was a charter flight and you had to wait in a long line in a non-air conditioned terminal, super hot. In the line, you met a young medical student and talked to him for hours.鈥�
鈥淵es,鈥� I said.
Then, like a detective unveiling details of a cold case he鈥檇 successfully cracked, he continued.
鈥淭he old man in front of you had a heart attack and keeled over. The medical student gave him CPR. Then medics took the man away and you moved up in line - still talking to the CPR guy.鈥�
He was dead right.
鈥淥n the plane you sat with a different guy and chatted with him. About how you鈥檇 lived in Greece and learned to speak Greek, but worried how you might not remember any of it. You told him about interesting places to go.鈥�
My neck felt tingly. 鈥淵es!鈥� I shouted. 鈥淏ut how do you know all this?鈥�
Like a gumshoe on a 鈥�50s cop show, he kept reeling off facts, savoring his special moment.
鈥淎fter takeoff the stewardess handed out pillows for the flight,鈥� he continued. 鈥淵ou got the last one.鈥�
鈥淭his is crazy!鈥� I shouted. 鈥淲ho are you?鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 the guy who stood behind you in line for two hours. Then I sat behind you for the entire flight. I heard all your stories. You never stopped talking.鈥� He grinned. 鈥淎nd you know what else? I really could have used that pillow.鈥�
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