Yesterday John and I were downtown at a festival when we ran into a couple of old friends.  Ann saw John first and gave him a hug.  Then she looked around for me who was standing a couple of feet behind him.  Granted the sidewalk was a little crowded and I am a little short, but I thought it seemed strange she didn’t see me right away.

I said, “Hi Ann!”

Her eyes finally locked on mine and she exclaimed,” Oh! I never would have recognized you!”  

We exchanged the usual niceties: how are you, how is life, etc. Then each couple moved on down the street.

I started to wonder what she had meant by “I never would have recognized you!” She never said why, my imagination began to run away.

I asked John what he thought that meant and he just said, “I knew you would latch on to that one”.

I still cannot shake it this morning.  Did it mean, “My God your hair is so much longer and luxurious I never would have recognized you”?  Did it mean, “Wow, you’ve finally started coloring your hair and I never would have recognized you” or did it mean, “You are at least 20 lbs. heavier and you look more like a pudgy version of your former self”?

Of course, the last one is the one I am going with.