Avoidance

Have you ever had the feeling or known for a fact that someone was avoiding you? Did it ever happen to be someone you hardly even know? Such is the situation I seem to be facing and it actually is most humorous to me.


First of all, there are two kinds of "young people" at our church - college students and young marrieds. I am neither. In fact, it worked out really well for me to teach 3 and 4 year old Sunday School because when I started, there was no class for me. I didn't fall into a category. Since then they have endeavored to change the name of the college class in order to encompass the few outliers. I am not fooled, that is not a class for someone 31. But anyway, I digress.


In my observation, I have noticed but one male outlier close to my age. Given the situation, you would think that maybe we could at least be friends. Here is where the avoiding comes in. I believe I have only spoken the word "hello" to this person, once, ever. And I think I smiled, once. Now there is a sweet Senior lady, who is dear to me and is most interested in seeing my future unfold before her before, as she says, she gets too old to have sense. I believe she may have dropped my name around this young man but she is very savvy and would not have made a big deal out of it. Nor would she have said anything embarrassing or inappropriate.

In recent weeks, I have made note of the whereabouts of this person. Often we're in the same room but not in close proximity. Then it so happened that I attended a meeting for folks who might be interested in going on one of our mission trips to Peru this year. Just as we're getting started, he comes in and sits in a chair directly across the aisle from me, less than two feet away. I think to myself, "hey this might be a good time to exchange pleasantries when the meeting is done." Oh no. As soon as the short meeting is over, he bolts up, goes to the front of the room, around the seats and back up the aisle towards the door in the back. He stops to talk to another man but then continues on to bounce out of the room and catch up with another guy. Ok, so forget eye contact much less pleasantries.

It may be a conversation that you had to be there for to appreciate the humor but my Mama and I got hunched over laughing about it the other night. I suggested that it seemed the only way I would ever speak to him was if a) I went way out of my way, up and down several aisles, to say hello during the "greeting time" or b) if I sort of laid in wait somewhere and jumped out with a "hey!" so that he could not get away. It was funny to us. But it only got funnier.

Sunday morning, we're sitting in our customary pew and lo and behold, who comes and sits directly behind us! Ok ok, now during the greeting we can just shake hands and say hello, very natural, no big deal. Once again, I was mistaken. There was not even time for that seat to get tepid, nevermind warm and he hopped up, went to the other side of the church and sat down with one of the deacons. It was one of those times when my Mama and I couldn't even exchange a look or we would have cracked up. We had to save it up for after lunch.

I just think it is terribly ironic. It could all be a complete coincidence but if he isn't trying to avoid me he sure it doing a good job at it. I dunno maybe I have "man trap" stenciled on my forehead. The thing is, I don't even know him. I suspect that he is waaay too goody goody for me so I'm not after him or anything! But I look forward to seeing what lengths he may go to in order to swerve out of my way!