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Meet friends accidentally while lunching? Fat chance
By JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT World Scene Writer
Published: 11/10/2009 2:21 AM
Last Modified: 11/10/2009 7:50 AM
Read Jason Ashley Wright's Blog
Please don't take offense next time we bump into one another, and I seem more clueless than usual.
Most times, I blame my scattered brain, which is probably taxed then with thoughts of "Did I zip my fly?" or "When's dinner?" But other times, my confused countenance might be because I'm used to seeing you elsewhere, be it a business setting or restaurant, maybe even Facebook.
I've had several of those moments recently, including the time I ran out to plug my meter and saw Marilyn Ihloff. Never spied her downtown before, so it took two seconds to register. Always lovely to see her — and smell her, psychotic as that sounds (love me some Aveda, sorry). Yes, I refrained from divulging that detail to her, as I didn't want to ruin our Mayberry moment.
You recognize those, right? It's one of the things I love most about Tulsa — how it's like this big small town where everyone knows your name, whether you want them to or not.
We the People
Obviously, there are times when Mayberry moments might not be all that fabulous. Like, when you run into your ex and ex's new flame, and you're
the
worst actor on the planet and can't feign that enviable self-preservation level of indifference. And then you throw your head back like a Pez dispenser and laugh at some imaginary joke. Because that's sane and all.
More often than not, though, I relish these moments like a homemade chutney — crossing paths with people you think well of but haven't seen in a while, like Marilyn on my meter break.
Growing up, I kinda dreaded the whole social thing, as I was introverted and a half. Whenever I'd go to the post office in Laurel, Miss., with my dad or grandparents, they would almost always run into someone from the community they hadn't seen in a month of Sundays. And they'd chat, and I'd stand there smiling, silently calculating how fast Mamaw would have to drive her yellow Cadillac Coupe de Ville to make it home in time for "Santa Barbara."
Thankfully, I've outgrown much of my anti-socialism, and I delight in chance meetings. Take Saturday, for example. I took Pat Conroy to Wild Fork (his "South of Broad," anyway). So focused on nabbing a patio table, I almost passed by Kara Jones of those fabulous Kara Mia handbags. Said hi, sat down, read a page or two, then got a text from Coco — she was across the way at Starbucks with her husband. Before that, I ran into FGP and her hubby. Hollered at Sue as she passed by, got to speak with Jill, saw Tony, saw Robyn. Topping off my social sundae like a neon-bright maraschino was my beloved Ursula, who was seated one table away. Small world after all, minus the boat ride and animatronic children. Sorry if you're humming that now; took me an hour to get "People in Your Neighborhood" from "Sesame Street" out of my head Saturday.
Not to get all Hallmark on you, but I hope you have the chance to slow your pace this week and increase your chances for a Mayberry moment. Sometimes, when we run into the occasional hateful person, we tend to forget the greater number of really cool people out there, many of whom we're lucky enough to be on the same Blockbuster or Walgreens schedule with. Just try to refrain from sniffing them too audibly, it's kinda off-putting.
By JASON ASHLEY WRIGHT World Scene Writer
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