Do i know you?

On my first day of lecturing a couple of weeks ago, I asked a student whether we'd met before...I KNOW. It was a ridiculous thing to say. I know it sounded like the worst pick-up line ever. Not to mention, it was totally inappropriate to say that to a student on the first day of class. What made it worse was that he insisted we hadn't met and I wouldn't believe it. Silly me.

I had almost recovered from the experience until last night when I entered my local convenience store to buy myself some...you know, lady products. Alas, it's THAT time of the month. So there I am, making my way through the isles with a pack of Always maxi-pads and a toothbrush in my hands when I notice that MY STUDENT (the do-i-know-you-from-somewhere guy) IS AT THE CASH-REGISTER. Not shopping. WORKING!!! Honestly, if I blushed, I would have turned five hundred shades of red. T'was a super high-stress situation for three major reasons:

1. Running into a student outside of class, especially at the beginning of the semester brings back memories of running into your own professors into the bathroom and realizing that they shit as well. I mean, come on. Your superiors are not supposed to do earthly things like that, right?!
2. Poor guy had not been in class earlier that day. Running into a student who had missed class that very same day presents you with the challenge of a) acting like a total asshole (Why weren't you in class today?! making your student think: Dude, I have a LIFE!!!) or b) attempting to be cool (which, of course, never works and you turn out to be dorkier than you OR your student thought).
3. I thought I was way past the age when I was embarrassed by my period, you know. The times when I only bought feminine products from female store-clerks are long gone. Plus, I am a feminist you know. I am a WOMAN and, goddamnit, I am PROUD. Turns out...not so much. I just couldn't help but think that if I bought my maxi-pads from my student, he would be scarred for life and every time he would look at me, he would picture me all crouched up above my toilet seat trying to stick a tampon in my...you-know-what. Not exactly the image I want him to remember me by.

So I did what any self-respecting young woman would do. Without even blinking, I smiled, dropped my pack of Always maxi-pads on the floor behind me, and proceeded to the cash-register where I paid for my toothbrush, and left the store faster than I thought possible.

Geo thinks I am blowing this way out of proportion and I'm thinking...well, have YOU ever bought maxi-pads from your student. I didn't think so.