A chance encounter with an old colleague

Sometimes it takes a chance event to make it clear what is important in life.

A couple of days ago, I bumped into someone I had worked alongside daily, for a year.

He was in his sixties, taller than me and heavier too. He looked at me a little confused and said: "We have met before haven't we?" he began, his face clearly that of a man fumbling through his memories of where and when. "Five times." he said, most oddly, as if giving it a number would allay the impression that he was unable to recall who I was.

"It was a lot more than five times." I said, quietly, looking into his puzzled eyes. It was just six months since he had last seen me - and that after a year of working in the same place and encountering him regularly throughout that period.

I said his name, both forename and surname, then, which I shan't write here. His frown deepened, as he searched for mine. Then I asked him a question about his life that only someone who had truly met him, would know.

He turned away, then turned back and answered.

Later he came to me and used my name. Perhaps someone had told him. His thoughts seemed clearer. It appeared that he had, at last found his memories of me.

The encounter was a sobering one for me, for it made me realize how precious memories are - and how quickly they can be lost. Six months before he did not have such trouble. Since then he had gone through difficult times - and it had told on him. He was much different. I hope he recovers his full capability, again, now that times are somewhat better.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and five months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, four years and ten months, and Tiarnan, twenty-seven months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind, niño, gênio criança, gifted adults and gifted children in general. Thanks.)