peripheral vision

Sometimes when I see someone lurking in my peripheral vision I sort of construct an identity for them without actually looking to see who they are. I don't think I do this on purpose, I'm just so focused on what I'm doing and it all happens so fast...

So I have this idea of who is standing next to me, and it is always wrong. It's not just a little wrong, it's so wrong that when I actually turn to look at the person, I get surprised by who is there. Usually I have the gender and age completely wrong--the only thing I ever get right is the hair cut and color.

Take for instance the other day: while shopping in the produce section, I thought the person next to me was an old lady--turns out it was a middle aged man with a short, greying mullet. Needless to say I was quite surprised when I turned and saw that gentleman standing there.

The worst, though, is when you think the person next to you is the person you are with. You just see a body out of the corner of your eye and assume it's your person. Then you start to say something, but when you turn to finish what you want to say, you realize that you are talking to a complete stranger. You say something like, "oh, sorry I thought you were my friend." As if that's not bad enough, you feel like a retard when you return to your boyfriend's side, as the little girl you just accidentally talked to watches and wonders if she really looks like a man...