was recenlty coming out the front door of Walgreen's, when I met a lady, that when seeing me stepped back, gasped, and said, "Oh my," with hand over her mouth.  I looked at her more closely, "I know I know this lady, but can't place her."  Come to find out a old girlfriend from high school days.  Probably 40 years since I last saw her.  We were together almost a year, she left here after HS, and I never saw here again till Walgreens.  She said, "you don't recognize me?'  "Help me."

"It's me, Carol."

It's then I recognized her.  "Ohhhhhh how are you?"

"I'm good, and you're looking good, how are you?"

"I'm great, how long has it been? "

"I dunno, too long, but I'd say 40 years?"

"The last I heard you left here for school, and never came back"

Carol was the second to last relationship before I met Debbie.  Ours was a good relationship, it was serious, and during that time I sometimes thought she might be THE ONE.  But I was young, had things I wanted to do, and was not ready for that.  She told me at the time, if we didn't go to the next level, she was going to school out of state, "the only way I stay in Alabama, you commit to me."  I wanted the status quo, so she basically gave me a ultimatum, and those never sit well with me, and it broke us up.

I was soon in another relationship, and then after that met Debbie, so I really never had time to dwell on it.  But I never ponder the past in that way anyway.

Well give me the short version of the last 40 years," I asked.

"I met a guy in college, got married, had 2 kids, divorced 15 years later.  Married again a few years after that, and left him after 5.  Been single working my career ever since."

"I see, your kids are where now?"

"Both still in Florida, but different cities, they are doing well.  I see your life is good, I use to often visit your website.  A long time ago I googled you, and found your web site.  You always liked riding.  I remember how you use to light up when you told me how you wanted to take off and ride for weeks at a time.  I read all your stories about riding the country.  You even passed within a few miles of my house on your last ride to Key West."

"Really, where do you live?"

"Sarasota, Florida"

"So I did."

I would have liked to say the years had been good to her, but that would not be the case.  Lets just say she did not much resemble the girl I knew in 1975. 

"Do you still live in Sarasota?"

"yes, I'm here taking care of some loose ends, my mother passed away recently, and I sold the house, and I'm here taking care of that."

"I'm sorry to hear that, your mother was a fine lady"

"Thank you"

It was then things became ackward.  I was running out of things to say,  "So how much longer are ya gonna be here?"

"Couple more days"

I nodded my head, "well I better get goin, it was great seeing you, good luck."

"You too Guy.  Next time you come through Florida, let me know."

"Carol, you know I can't do that."  Debbie is NOT going to go go along with lunch with a old girlfriend, even if it was 40 years ago.

"I know, just thought I'd ask"

And on that she turned and went inside, and I went to the car and finished my day.  But the encounter stayed on my mind.

Later that evening, D and I were cleaning up from supper and I said, "guess who I ran into today?"

"WHO?"

"Carol"

"Oh yeah?  Where at?"

"Coming out of Walgreens"

Although she has never met her, she knew about her.  Debbie was the kind that asked about my previous relationships piecemeal.  A little here, a little there.  I never spoke about old girlfriends, unless she brought it up.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing much, brought me up to speed of the last 40 years in about 1 minute"

"She is moving back here?"

"No, her mother had recently died, and she was here tying up loose ends"

"Oh ok"  She quipped nonchantly.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah"

"nothing else?"

"No, why should it be?"

"I dunno, just seems like you'd wanna know more?"

"LOL, you ran into her at Walgreens, is there more I should know?"

"Well no, it was all of a 5 minute conversation"

"Look we've been married 36 years, I'm not concerned about Carol.  I'm use to running into your old girlfriends, way back when it seemed they were everywhere"

"LOL what can I say, I got around"

"oh hush, and dry this off.  I bet none of them know how domesticated you are now"

"Well don't be tellin them, I gotta reputation ya know"

"Riiiiiight, the only reputation YOU have, that of being MY husband"

"really?"

"yep"

"Then I reckon I have a lot to live up to"

And on that we went to watch to TV.