Let Me Know

The following is a story that a friend sent to me through text messages.  I edited it for minor grammar mistakes and changed the names.

Okay first of all, he looks the exact same as he used to be.  It’s like he’s stuck in his little “Lance in Mr. Pfeiffer’s class” skin for the rest of his life.  So we start talking; it’s made all the more awkward cause Deborah [Lance’s mom] is just standing there moderating our conversation.  Soon into our chat Hank [a fellow congregant] walks into the room.  I impulsively looked over due to his imposing stature.  We caught each other’s eye and he strode over to shake my hand.  He gave his condolences (“Thank you, thank you”), made some small talk, (“No, Hank, I didn’t catch the game last night”), and then he left.  Just completely ignored Lance who, chipper just seconds before, was now obviously disgruntled. 

After that incident we returned to conversing, but the level of uncomfortableness was now unbearable.  Naturally our talk turned to schooling and our future plans.  It turned out we both go to BCC.  Finally we had something in common!  However, this moment of bliss was short-lived.  He was talking about some class (I forget what it was, let’s just say it was Ethics of Business Law and Marketplace Philosophy for the purpose of our discussion).  Reluctant to trod on any toes, I feigned interest in this class (much like I did with Steve Holt and Nimitz class). 

This is where the bomb gets dropped.  I said, “Let me know how the class is and if I should take it next semester.”  “Sure, I’ll be sure to tell you how it turns out,” he responded.  It seemed like we had finally reached a level of nonawkwardness.  But then ten seconds later after the banter, we both realized something:  we didn’t have each other’s number, and we weren’t Facebook friends.  I didn’t even have his e-mail.  We never go to synagogue anymore.  It was highly likely that I would never see Lance again, and if I did, it would be in a few years when this topic would be obsolete.  Once it dawned on both of us that there was absolutely no way he would ever be able to “let me know” how his class was, it became horribly awkward, and I had to bow out of the conversation soon after that.