This is a story about how weird I am. A slightly awkward encounter—absolutely made weirder by writing about it, but I just couldn’t get it out of my head until I did. So, here you go. :)

I tell myself to just ignore this guy—which is like telling myself to not picture a polar bear. I should’ve moved over when I had the chance. I still have that chance.

Yet, here I sit.

On the days I drive my son down to his day program, I can’t stay holed up in my home office. I’m forced to find someplace to be “alone” in public. This library usually has a better vibe for me than a noisy café, but today, it’s more people-y. Probably because it’s a bazillion degrees outside. We’re all dreaming about polar bears.

This four-seat table was the only empty one in the row of study tables along the windows. I snagged one quarter of it and hoped no one would need to share.

But within five minutes, a guy wearing a white face mask and lugging a couple of books came out of the stacks, glanced at the other full tables, and approached mine. I mumbled, “Oh, do you need to sit here?” and shifted my book bag and iPad closer.

Please go to https://itslikethis.substack.com/p/33-table-for-two for the full transcript.

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