So, I didn't set about to scare anyone, and I hope I have made up for it, but here's the story.
Every day I walk about a half a mile to the bus stop and back. About 4 blocks from my house on my street is a home for mentally challenged people. I don't know what the real name of that kind of a house might be. I know its not a half way house. For about the past year, every morning I would walk past the house and one of the residents would be standing outside waiting for someone to pick him up. I would say "hi" or "good morning" or some such thing, but never got a reply.
Then, about 3 months ago, while I was having a bad morning, I was on my way to the but when I walked past this person. Out of nowhere he says, "What did you say your name was?" Being a bit disgruntled at the time I immediately came back with, "I never said what my name was." I continued walking and never looked back. I do feel badly about saying it and not being a little more neighborly right off the bat.
For the next few months, whenever I walked past that house, and he was outside waiting, he would look away from me, never making contact and never saying a word. I continued to say "hello" or "good morning" or whatever, but never a reply. Until yesterday.
Yesterday, I was walking past when I once again heard, "What did you say your name was?" This time, I responded kindly and said, "Michael." He said, "Hi, Mike, my name is Chris." I kinda let it slide that he called me Mike. I do have a beef with that normally, especially if I just introduce myself as Michael, and then am immediately called Mike. I said, "Good morning Chris."
This morning Chris said, "Good Morning, Mike." To which I responded, "Good morning."
Immediately, he said, "Do you remember my name?"
"Certainly, I do, Chris," I said. He smiled and responded, "Happy St. Patrick's Day."
"Thank you, You too Chris." I didn't feel the need to mention that we are still a couple of weeks away from St. Patrick's Day.
