{"id":2002,"date":"2012-11-06T17:42:51","date_gmt":"2012-11-06T22:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/?p=2002"},"modified":"2013-01-06T04:09:17","modified_gmt":"2013-01-06T04:09:17","slug":"an-awkward-train-conversation-tale-two-julies-practice-makes-perfect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2012\/11\/an-awkward-train-conversation-tale-two-julies-practice-makes-perfect\/","title":{"rendered":"An awkward train conversation (a tale of two Julies): Practice makes perfect"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

This morning’s bizarre train experience<\/h2>\n

I saw a woman across from me who looked like someone I had a brief conversation with several months back. I figured my Movember\u00a0mustache may have confused the issue. Do I say nothing and risk being rude? Or do I say something and risk being wrong?<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> “Julie?”<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong>\u00a0Looks up, “Yes?”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Now a bit unsure, “It’s me, Chad, from the train.”<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong> Still unsure, “Hi. Have you lost weight?”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> “Um, I suppose”, now increasingly uncertain, while wondering why people keep asking me that.<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong> “So where are you working now?”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> “[insert company name]. Are you still in accounts?”<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong> “Yes, with [insert here a company where the Julie I know does not work]”.<\/p>\n

Chad:<\/strong> “Oh? Been there long?”<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong> “Yes, six years.”<\/p>\n

Me:<\/strong> Sinking feel confirmed, this is the wrong Julie. I graciously try to back out with “Oh, you must be a different Julie. I’m Chad” and awkwardly extend my hand after stating what was already confirmed.<\/p>\n

Julie:<\/strong> Extends hand out of social convention. “Um, yes, I’m Julie”.<\/p>\n

We now have 45 glorious minutes of uncomfortable silence as we stare at our phones.<\/p>\n

Learning life through reflection and awkwardness through practice<\/h2>\n

My lessons:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Remembering faces is not my strength.<\/li>\n
  2. There are two blond Julies that ride my train that work in accounts that know of my existence. One of those Julies thinks I’m weird.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    There are two approaches to awkward situations: avoid them at all costs; or seek them out to get really good at them through practice. It’s a safe bet I will continue to pursue the latter.<\/p>\n

    My experience could have been much worse if Julie had left me hanging with arm outstretched. Don’t leave me hanging, please feel free to share your own awkward journey experience.<\/p>\n

    And if your name is Julie, say “hi”.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    This morning’s bizarre train experience I saw a woman across from me who looked like someone I had a brief conversation with several months back…. Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5270,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[19,135],"ecosystem_role":[],"class_list":["post-2002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-about-me","tag-awkwardness","tag-travel","bwp-masonry-item","bwp-col-3"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t