I once told myself that I should never be scared again to contact people from my past, should I meet them serendipitously. So today I didn’t, though I did hesitate for a moment before pulling myself together.

I got off the bus, as usual, and started walking towards work. Then I passed my high school physics teacher. He looked at me, I looked at him and then we kept on going our different ways, more slowly though. I pulled myself together, turned back and asked his name. It was him.

My work is right by my high school so many times I’ve thought I should go there and say hi to my teachers, but so far it hasn’t happened. Now I don’t know if it will. Since I did study physics I really felt that he should be the one to talk to, it was him that inspired me to pursue physics. So that was most what we talked about; my studies, my new job, the difference between scientific physics and engineering physics. Then the person he was waiting for came and we parted ways. I told him to say hi to the other teachers for me.

I was glad that he did recognise me, he never spoke my name, but at least he remembered that I’ve been in his class for three years. We also talked about a field trip we took during senior year to the power plant I’ll be visiting next week.

This time it didn’t take as long to work up the courage. If the person I do approach doesn’t want to talk to me, well fine. Next time I see someone, I won’t walk past them, I’ll stop immediatly (or do my best).