I was buying groceries a little while ago when I passed a group of well-dressed young women. I caught one of them out of the corner of my eye and immediately thought, "Hey, I know her!" They were walking at a brisk pace and in the middle of a conversation, so they were long gone before I got a chance to say hello or catch a return glance.

Right after that happened I realized that I knew her, but couldn't remember who she was, or from where I knew her. I scanned through all the faces of people I had worked with or knew through different friends, and I couldn't match her up anywhere. Her face is burned into my head right now, and I know I know her, I know I've had conversations with her, heard her say my name, but I just can't place where I know her.

It doesn't freak me out so much that I can't remember where I know her from; we all have people that we've known for a little while, who fade away from our memories. What disturbs me more is that I can remember this girl, but not the situation. I don't think I ever taught with her, or went to school with her, or did theatre with her. It's like there's this whole other little life I had for a while, where she existed, and that part's gone. There's this little chunk of my life that I have completely forgotten about.

And that is one freaky idea to contemplate.