And I Know You From Where, Elementary School?

Such were the words of the rapper Big Pun before he passed away, and thus was my experience today. Two dark eyes peered out from the peephole formed from the hood tightly tied around her face. From a few yards off, she did not strike me as someone I might know, not even a superficial acquaintance. As we approached each other, her countenance was beaming with anticipation. The closer we got the more excited she seemed to become, as if I were her long lost companion. I was slightly tempted to turn around and scour the Promanade for other signs of human life. No one else in their right mind would be outside in this downpour, and maybe that is what prompted her enthusiasm toward me.

She finally was close enough that I could get a clear view of her face. I'm drawing a panicked blank. Just then my thoughts were interrupted by her greeting. This was not just the usual mundane "Hello" that you sometimes elicit from a friendly stranger as you're rushing to class. She spoke as if she had known me for years. Almost as if she would call me by name and ask me about my most recent life event. I felt a slight surge of guilt. Was I supposed to know her? Was this one of those really embarrassing occasions when you have totally forgotten someone that you really once met?

Regardless of the background circumstances, our paths crossed, and my spirits were cheered by her contagious personality toward a complete stranger, trudging through the miseries of Tennessee rain.