I'm ashamed to admit that at least one of the things I was thinking was, "Finally, a way to get Ira Glass to notice me."

One of the writers from the Knit and Crochet department appeared in the door to my office late one day last week.

At first, I was afraid their boss, Material World girl, was gone for the day and I would have to deal with some sort of instructional writing emergency. Something to do with semicolons, no doubt.

Instead, out of the blue, she said that someone had told her I was a David Sedaris fan, and was I aware that she had gone to high school with the Sedaris' children, and lived on their block in Raleigh, North Carolina?

"David Sedaris? My David Sedaris? You did not!"

It's true--she did. So we talked for a long time and she told me about being in the same classes with his sister Gretchen, and what she remembered of the family. As the conversation progressed, I realized I was talking about what I knew of Sedaris' early years by way of his stories--but in such as way as though I had actual, first-hand knowledge.

"...and the youngest sister, let's see, her name was..."

"Tiffany," I supplied.

"..and his folks, I wonder if his parents are still living," she said.

"Mom died several years, ago," I said, "Cancer. It was very sad."

And I was thinking about my Karma and what a very good girl I must have been to have this stupendous story walk in, unbidden, and sit itself down in my office. Oh, the posts I could cull from this one small series of anecdotes!

And then, dammit, the second thoughts.

Speaking strictly for myself, I don't ever want to hear anything from anyone anywhere claiming to remember me from high school. Really. The ride wasn't that much of a thrill when I was strapped into it. And if you're at all familiar with Sedaris' writing, it's easy to conclude that he might not be that keen on getting back in line for another loop-de-loop, either.

And I mean really--how much would that suck--to work so hard to be famous and successful and put all those miles between you and that kid you were in high school, only to have some random person dig it all up again and put it on the World Wide Wonder?

So I just couldn't do it. I thought wanted to do it, but now I don't.

See? Karma. Sometimes you don't even really have to work at it.