Shit! Just a moment ago she was talking to a guy, now she's leaving the bar and she's already pushing open the door.
I jump out of my chair and push shove the other chairs at my table out of the way, nearly falling over them. Pushing open the door and running outside after her I yell.
"Hey! Hey!"
She turns around.
"Did I forget to close my tab?"
"No. I want to ask you to do something with me. Will you make eye contact with me for 60 seconds?"
"OK. Why?"
"I'll tell you after."
"OK."
"Do you want to do it here, or...?"
"Where ever you want."
"OK, inside."
We go inside and sit down at my table. She's ready to go immediately. I pull out my timer and we begin.
She has great energy. She is calm and focused. She seems like a person of experience.
After the timer expires I give her a card and tell her about the experiment.
She says she'll 1-up my challenge. She invites me to her holiday party, which unfortunately I won't be able to attend because I won't be in Portland on the day on which it will occur. Then she tells me that she practices open eye meditation (!) and invites me to join her at the next open eye meditation class, which is followed by an hour long session, during which I will make eye contact with the master/teacher.
I accept her challenge.
In response to my request to use her name and photograph on this blog she says "Sure! Why not?" and tells me that her name is Jen.
Wow, what an encounter. And to think that I almost didn't make eye contact with anyone today!