At a Glance

This picture was taken in November of 2006. I don't really remember taking it, but there is no doubt in my mind (nor probably in yours if you are a frequent visitor here or know me in person) that the shadowy figure on the left, reflected in the window is me. For visitors who aren't 'from around here' I would point out, too, that the nine-banded armadillo is having a tea party in the window. He is undoubtedly real (but stuffed). We see armadillos like this around here occasionally, live and (mostly) as road kill. But that really has nothing to do with my point today. Rather I'm interested in how certain I would be (and maybe you, too) that the dark shadow is me.

It's funny how we can recognize people at a glance with only the smallest clues. When I've only met people a couple of times, I'm terrible at it. But after being around them a while I can hear their voice or laugh around a corner or see a gesture or body type or body language from afar and know for sure who it is. I can't always describe the people I know. I may forget what color their hair is or how they groom it or even whether men have facial hair. I may not be able to describe how they walk or move their hands. But the sum total of those clues makes me recognize someone with no doubt in my mind. It's a tribute to how different each person is (even though they fall into clear 'type' categories) and to how our brains work.