Random Encounters

- I was walking down the hallway of school with a student and there were a few visitors touring the school. One of the visitors extended her hand to touch me on the arm and said, 'Ty? You're Ty, right? Cobb? I worked with your mother.'

- A former co-worker comes in for dinner at the restaurant with her HOT mom, and through the course of the meal we discuss my work with special education. Turns out the mom works in special ed as well, and lives in Bowie, oh and, 'I knew your mother. I worked with your mother many times over the years. We actually lived down the street from you.' I had no idea.

- An audience member approaches me after a performance and says, 'Hi Ty. You don't remember me but I'm Old Swimming Friend of Your Brothers'. I admit to remembering the woman, and then we chit chat about the show, and life in general. The whole time I'm wondering if she knows about mom passing away, if her father, whom we knew, is still alive, and if I should bring it up if the opportunity presents itself. It didn't.

-A large party comes into the restaurant for a birthday celebration. I start at one end of the table taking entree orders and a one of the guests, a woman says, 'Ty?' I look up and smile and say yes, knowing that my name tag often prompts diners to call me by my first name. In this case it turns out the the guest is one my mother's sorority sisters and her husband is there too. I hadn't seen the two of them since we all walked together on Team Sue during a Cancer Walk back in November.

I'm telling you this happens all the time. I'm just walking down the hall, or working a shift at the restaurant or whatever and someone will approach me and start chatting me up about my mother. It's been 9 months since she passed away, and these encounters will still throw me up into head and start me on a weird mental journey. There's always the pleasantness of hearing people praise my mother, but then it sours a little when I start to think about life 'post-ma'.