Small world, small town

I'm walking up Mill Street to meet my mom for dinner at D19 early Friday evening, a fairly busy time for pedestrians here in paradise. There are plenty of people about, strolling, window shopping, enjoying the mountains.

Generally, when I'm walking around town, I will see someone I know. It is, after all, a small town with approximately 6000 year round residents. So, waving and exchanging greetings is routine.

As I approach a group of four chatting outside Bentley's, I realize that one is familiar. But not familiar in a recent way. More in like a decades old way, a glimpse from my past. I approach the group, apologize for interrupting their conversation and wait to see if I look familiar. It was rather fun watching the recognition dawn. "Bridget?" Yep, there I was, greeting my boss from, oh, 20 or so years ago. Ed Tapscott, the former head men's basketball coach at American University, former interim president and general manager of the New York Knicks and most recently, the president and CEO of the Charlotte Bobcats, whom I haven't seen since the mid to late 1980's, is standing on the street here in Aspen. He's in town to attend a wedding and, 10 minutes either way, we would not have run into each other. He had no idea I lived here. I have no idea whose wedding he was attending.

Just another day in Aspen . . .