Like Two Ships

"Oh, sorry ma'am. I didn't see you," the young man said after walking past me a while back in downtown Franklin.

For the past several years, local merchants have tried to revitalize this small, picturesque town located near the great smoky mountains in southwestern North Carolina. Franklin, with all of it's history, beauty, quaintness, southern hospitality, and 1950s feel, hasn't been able to attract much attention to its one block long, 19th century Main Street. And it was early one morning on that very same empty street, devoid of all living souls, no one but me, walking all alone, when I saw what looked like another human being. It appeared to have arms and legs and a head. Yes! Yes! It was human and it was walking toward me. As the person came closer, I could tell it was a young man about thirty. It was just the two of us, all alone, no one else in sight. We were like two ships passing in the...like two ships passing in the...how does that saying go? It's my memory, you know. Not so good anymore.

All that separated us were an empty park bench, a cafe sign advertising sandwich specials, and ten crack lines in the sidewalk. Ten, nine, eight, seven cracks away--he's getting closer. Oh, my. He's a handsome young man. Six, five--I swallowed hard a couple of times, cleared my throat, spit out my gum in my hand, and licked my lips in preparation for our cordial greeting.  Four, three, two, one...we're mere inches apart now. I gave him my best smile and said, "Hel...lo?"

Huh? How could he not have seen me? It was just the two of us all alone together on an empty street. We were like two ships in the...uh...like two...

"Oh, I'm just fine, thank you very much! And you?!" I said to the young man (he wasn't that attractive up close) who looked away two seconds before passing the only other person in town: me.

Without breaking his stride or turning around, the young man, who was quite unattractive upon closer examination, apologized for having not seen me. Really? He didn't see me? How could that be? I know I'm old, but am I also invisible? We were the only two people in town, alone on empty Main Street, the homely young man and me, passing each other like two..like two..

oh, never mind.