Weirdest Thing Ever - One of Many New York People Stories

I've met and interacted with MANY interesting people while living in New York. Of course, "interesting" people means both "normal" (or what society would deem such) and then naturally the "abnormal" (odd, socially awkward, eccentric, of just plain nutty). That was yesterday. Just twenty minutes ago, a "new era of weird" began in my life following one of the weirdest encounters ever; I'm still sorting the experience out in my own mind and trying to clarify anything I can, "did that actually happen, was she mentally handicapped, did anyone else see her!?"

Here's what transpired: It was 10 AM, and I'd been debating whether or not to make a quick Starbucks run to get a cup of ice for my regular hot coffee. Before I delve into the story, I should explain that I'm obsessed with ice - an ice fiend, no joke - that will ask for "a cup full of just ice" to go along with my beverage 9 times out of 10. This AM, as fate would have it, I simply didn't have time to get that extra ice-filled cup; I'd literally grabbed a small cup of warm coffee and ran.

I finally decided to go, although technically I'm not supposed to leave the office, especially because my co-worker is out today and my boss is attending a memorial service; I'm the "phone guy" in that case. Neverthless I headed down to the corner Starbucks at 87th & Lex, just a block away. As I stood waiting at the service area waiting for my "Venti cup of just ice, please," I noticed an elderly woman - like late 60s elderly, not late 80s - with whispy white hair standing next to me at the counter. You know that awkward and uncomfortable feeling you get when you know you're being watched? I began to get that feeling, squared, standing there next to grams. In most cases, when the "viewee" senses he/she is being watched and makes eyes with the "viewer," the latter party emberassingly looks away, or at least chuckles, or does ANYTHING BUT what this woman did - which is continue to glare, even harder. I thought, "is she going to scold me?" "Did I do something wrong?" All of a sudden, I got flashbacks from Mumbles, a lil' restaurant down in the Gramercy neighborhood, where an older gentlemen asked me, "where are your manners!?" when I didn't hold the door for him.

The woman said nothing, and as I walked over to the milk/sugar/napkin table simply just to get away, her stare actually followed me. This is ridiculous, I thought. I will just have to look back at her, maybe "turn the tables" if you will. She was a lanky woman, maybe a little over 5 feet tall, with bulging eyes and a little wool cap on. She was chewing something, maybe a cookie, very slowly - eerily slowly - and just continued staring, only this time, she looked me up and down. "Hi!" I said, attempting to make contact. She said nothing, but just kept on chewing at the same slow pace.

I was slightly disturbed, but more so perplexed - perhaps she had a mental disability, or maybe she's just old and alone, and at that point where all caution and tact have been thrown to the wind? I could only speculate. I spoke again, "Is there something wrong?" I asked. Still nothing. I got my cup of ice, headed for the door, and exited. As I left, I saw her watch me leave and begin to follow me - again, only with those eerie eyes - right out the door. I stopped, turned around, and went back in. She had her back turned to me now, so I approached her, tappedput my hand lightly on her her shoulder, and asked, "Excuse me ma'am, is something wrong? Do I have something on me?" She didn't move; the only action she took was squezzing some peanut butter out of a little packet to put on her cookie. A Starbucks employee looked at me; all I could say was, "I'm sorry, she kept looking at me, wanted to make sure everything was okay..."

I left, went back up to my office, and decided that now is a perfect time to begin writing in my blog again - I'd taken a little hiatus. A story like this is simply too odd, and too mind-rattling, to let go for long.