Like another life ...

Today, while I was supposed to be actually writing, I was looking up papers and such. And I came across a paper written by someone who used to teach where I got my Masters degree and is now at a close-by University. The title had caught my eye (as the guy works on a "weird" animal) and I thought "I wonder if that guy is the author of that paper" and he was.

Then I wondered "If I ever saw him again (at a conference or some other science thing), would he even know me?"

I mean, the guy was actually on my Thesis committee. And I took a seminar that he taught. And we had actual conversations.

But I haven't spoken to/emailed/thought about him since the day I graduated. And, he likely has not thought about me much either, as he left that university when I did and our research interests don't overlap much, so he probably doesn't wonder how my new work is going.

So ... I am guessing he probably wouldn't remember me. Or he would remember me, but in that way that I now remember students whom I taught 4 years ago. Like ... I know I taught them, but I don't actually know their names anymore ... or when exactly I taught them ... or what class they were in ... or if I really had them as a student or if they just look really familiar because they dated someone that maybe worked for Ry's lab. Or something.

Isn't that weird? Like my life is really just a whole bunch of disconnected lives that all just happen to be mine.

I know ... too deep. Maybe I need a diet coke?