Everyday life is just filled with little mysteries. When you work in a big building with lots of departments there are mysteries there too. For me, these are especially curious. I worked in this building for two years during my previous stint with the company. Now in my new department I find myself recognizing people and then questioning if I am actually valid in my recognition.

�How do I know them? Why?�

Because it might be because I saw them repeatedly in passing in the lunchroom. I might not �know� them at all.

There are two guys on my floor that I recognize. One I know exactly who he is. His name is Pat and he was a regular at the Comic College. I talked to him all the time, but he was a pretty weaselly guy. I haven�t gone out of my way to renew our acquaintance since he hasn�t acted like he recognizes me. He might not know how he knows me. It has been years.

There�s this other guy, who I think I recognize too. He�s more puzzling. I think he�s a comic guy too, but I think I don�t remember him better because he was never a talker. But I can�t be sure. We make eye contact and sort of soundlessly greet each other, but that might just because he�s caught me looking at him with a puzzled smile wondering if I actually recognize him or not.

There is also the mystery of the coat closet. Someone on my floor hangs a zip-up hooded sweatshirt with �400 Bar� emblazoned on the back. Sal was a bouncer there for years. I hung out there for years. I haven�t since it changed ownership, but it�s still a cool bar. A little �too� cool now, and so I haven�t flocked there. There are certain, rather claustrophobic elements of the Mpls music scene that I would rather avoid. But if someone digs the 400 Bar, they are probably into pretty cool music. So there�s the mystery of who�s hoodie that might be.

Well that mystery was solved yesterday. The guy in the 400 Bar hoodie, is the guy I recognize. I know I don�t recognize him from the 400 Bar, but it�s intriguing that he owns that sweatshirt. Could this be a quiet guy who likes comics and the same music as me? Hmmm.

I could just go up and ask him, I know it wouldn�t offend him in any way. But that seems so brazen, and I�d just be doing it to satisfy my curiousity. I�d just be doing it to see if my feeling is a nagging sense of recognition or a crush.

I suppose the intrigue would either flatter or frighten him, and I don�t know if I want to do either.

Why change a potential mystery to a mystery of potential?