There was a child kept looking through the door window strip of my Californian office. I saw here out of the corner of my eye – usually when I was on the phone actually – perhaps I had been disturbing her.  When I looked up, she would pull back out of view quickly. A few times in the course of the afternoon, this happened.  Always when I was talking loudly on the phone.

Some time later, I had stepped out, and equally the little girl came out from her mothers office, it seemed, and blocked my way in the corridor. 

“What’s your name ? I asked.

The girl, steady on her feet, probably around 7 years old, I thought.

“Brianna”, she replied quickly

“Banana ?”

“No Brianna !”

“Banana ? -mmm I never met anyone named Banana before” I teased.

She went back into her mom’s office.  I went onto another office.  I had got talking, once again in a loud Aussie voice I guess, to a big American guy – you know – also has a football helmet in miniature on his desk – and then the little girl burst in – hands on hips –

“Why don’t you talk regular ?.. she said. Then ran from the room with a smile.

Who invented nametags ?  Almost a month has passed, and with all the travel and adventures, Los Angeles with the glasses of no name, Boston – what a difference a few years make, – South coast of England – Paris – Nashville then home. No time to write about any of the thoughts and impressions of any of it.  Thats interesting in itself.  Writing requires time.  Adventures soak up time.  Then by the time you get past it all… how much did you really remember ? Who did you meet ? What did you say ? Did you change their heart ? Did you change the world ?

There is a noisy conference happening, in three places on the journey I’ve stopped, unpacked, and attended for a few days in each place.  I see someone looking at me, that kind of look, you know, when you should recognise them, but you don’t.  There seem to be depths of recognition, out of place, it’s hard to recognize people.  I expect to see X in Boston, not Alhambra.  I expect to see Y in Houston, but from Mars, not in Paris eating Canapes with a glass of champagne.

Still I met some new people – I know I would recognise some – if they wore the same thing – had the same hair – spoke the same – walked the same – when next I might meet them.  Could I remember their name ? maybe not.  But I would remember them, yes, certain I would.  But change the hair, the clothes, the other things, the walk, the talk – then you cannot remember them easily.

“Never mind, my mother died, I got a new boyfriend, I changed my hair, it’s longer now,  but really did you have to read my nametag first when I was there smiling at you ?”

“Those glasses look cool by the way, where did you get them ?”

“I made them – force of circumstances really – look – you can see the lenses don’t quite fit” I said.

“I hardly recognised you in them ”

Let us go then, you and I, I finally remember you, that a year has gone by, that we actually liked each other, that we spoke for hours, that our hearts also liked each other, and other things.  Do you have time ? – perhaps we could go out there on the balcony and chat for a bit – do you mind ?