Do I know you? You look familiar.

[author_by_night]

I keep forgetting to post what happened last Sunday.

It was really weird... I was in Philadelphia, just on a day trip with my parents. Well, at one point, I saw a girl, probably around my age, with black curly hair, really short, and pale skin.

I couldn't help it: I could've sworn I knew her.

This has happened before - I see people, and I could swear I know them from somewhere, and I can't remember where.

She looked at me, and her face seemed to show she was thinking the same thing.

I know you.

I'd say maybe she was someone from my area, but how likely is it that, given that we're about an hour and a half away from Philly?

I wish I'd said something, but I sort of just walked away with my parents and Michelle (my cousin). 

This has happened before.  Last summer, I was in Conneticut, and saw a middle aged (ish) woman. I was so startled... I wanted to ask if I knew her, but again, I was with my parents, and besides... you have to be careful in doing those things. Not to mention the fact that we were rushing, and I didn't really absorb what'd just happened until we'd passed her.

What really puzzles me is that the girl reacted right back. She looked at me as if we were long lost friends.

I know I know her. And it still bugs me, nearly a week later.

I think I'm also posting it in case it was one of you or something. I don't know how many of you I've exchanged pictures with. 

Of course, maybe it's past life regression or something. (Yes, I believe in reincarnation). Or maybe we just both remind one another of other people. 
Or... who knows?

Anyone else ever had one of those moments?

Comments

[stmargarets.livejournal.com]

On two different occasions I've had people come up to me and call me by a different name - and not realize their mistake until I actually talked to them. Once when I was about 15 and the other time when I was in my twenties. That's what you get for being average looking.

Then there was the kid in Toys R Us that grabbed my hand. She thought I was her mommy because I had the same coat as her mother. Poor thing was so scared until her real mommy found her.

[gloryforever.livejournal.com]

Once the same thing happened to me, the "I know I know you but I don't know from where". It got scary, however, when we were properly introduced at work two days later and even though we talked for a long time, there was just no way we could've met in the past. Premonition?

[sea_thoughts]

Yes, I've had that feeling. "I know you, but I can't know you." It happened with an older couple who were visiting the museum I was looking after. All of a sudden, I saw us sitting around a wooden table, having lunch, even though I'd never met them in my life before.

And with people I've seen at university. That glimpse and flash of recognition. Very strange.

[bisforbecky.livejournal.com]

YES! i saw this girl that i KNEW and i thought and i remembered i went to camp with her and now we're going to the same college. it's a happy story. but i've never thought i knew someone and then not figured out how.
maybe you knew this person from a previous life...oooo...

[lebonmot.livejournal.com]

I can go one better--I've had this happen with people I chat with online. It's never been as immediate as what happened to you, but it has happened.

And then there's this weird sense of familiarity I have with Mark Twain. Yeah, I know, he's dead and we can't have possibly known each other. But there's this picture I saw in a literature book in high school and I thought: I know you. I've seen those eyes before. I couldn't shake it.

[parsimonia.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've had that happen to me...it's always weird, because you know you've seen them before, and you may not even know them that well, but if you could just place them it'd satisfy the wtf-curiosityness of it. (I'm sorry if that's really incoherant...lol)