eye contact

I attended a concert recently with my elderly father and best friend. We were welcomed backstage as one of the performers was a casual acquaintance of mine from high school. Actually, his father was a teacher and he followed in his footsteps. Anyways, I didn't really know him as a close friend but loved his father's class. He's done well with his life. I am very quiet and sometimes become intimidated by some individuals (especially if well educated etc..). I realize that I shouldn't feel this way as we are all human and have strong points as well as weak.
I introduced him to my father and friend and then pictures were taken for sake of memorializing the moments. I couldn't find the words to talk! I was so tongue-tied and I can't stand that trait in myself but it happened!

Before leaving I showed him pictures of my two grown children, a boy and a girl. He is married with three children of his own. He gazed at me and looked at the pictures again and handed them back. My daughter is lovely and takes after me in many ways. What concerns me is the fact he made eye contact with me and I did the same. It wasn't just a couple seconds and I'm not sure why that happened. I broke the contact and he walked away and I noticed his pondering what had just happened. No words were spoken at all. Someone else told me I am being too hard on myself about this and it showed good charachter on my part to look aways first and nothing further occurred. I then left.

I am feeling guilty that this happened and guess I've learned a life lesson here. Guess we all do stupid things in our lives but feel better talking about it rather than keeping it pent up within myself. Life is full of lessons and will just go on from here. I just hope this person doesn't hate me for whatever reason. I don't want to think he does.

I don't understand what you're feeling guilty about at all Could you explain maybe??

I think eye contact is a great thing

Eye contact in itself is wonderful. This was for quite awhile longer than it should have been intense type of thing. Not sure what it was, maybe pupils or my blue eyes? Flattering in a sense but hope I didn't hurt his feelings by turning away abruptly as I did is all. I have my life and he has his. I think I did the right thing.

All kinds of things give one pause suddenly. I often notice a moment when my attention suddenly fastens enquiringly on the one who has said so little during what was otherwise an animated exchange. And the gesture you made itself is so potent, as if to say, "see, as different as we may seem, at the core is..." see what I mean? You describe a moment between two people that would seem poignant I think, to anyone.

Or, sure, it could have been a homoerotic "moment" and later be construed to have been the seed of his undoing...but I don't think so.