I was sitting down at Starbucks trying to catch up on some bill payments and all that when I saw a young lady walking towards me. I wasn’t sure if she was headed for the restrooms or for me. But moment she smiled, I realized she was heading for me!

“Amanda!! It has been such a long time!”, I exclaimed.

“I know!”

Amanda was my dental hygienist for a long time before she left the dentist office I go to for greener pastures. I had not seen her for years. I remember all the chats we used to have during my regular visits to the dentist’s office. I had gotten to know about her family from all those conversations.

Today, I got to meet one of her kids – Avery!

A few months back, I ran into Manu and Mihika in the airport. Turned out we were all headed to Scotland in the same flight.

Today, Sharmila and I were casually strolling in downtown Alpharetta heading towards one of our usual watering holes when we spotted a lady hurriedly crossing the street. And we thought we knew her. Sure enough, it was the other Gupta family member that I did not meet in the airport!

Keerti joined us at the bar for some time for a good chat!

There I was – sitting at my usual chair at my usual Starbucks after my usual morning routine busy knocking off some office work before the traffic on 400 subsided. Picked up my head from the laptop and I thought I saw somebody I knew walking thru the door. Except, this is not where I would normally expect to see him.

But sure enough, it was good old Jon!! He had come up from Buckhead to meet a friend.

You may remember him from a prior post as the CEO that meaningfully changed the arc of my career by taking a huge chance on me. Always great to catch up with this nicest gentleman I know.