"Hah, that's me right there!"

The Friday Firesmith story from mid-July 2021 ends:

I had a copy of this photo, emailed it to everyone in the photo I could find, but lost track of it when a computer crash took some photos with it. I think I could track the guy down again, but could he track the photo? And why? Have you ever seen an accidental photo of you? How did you feel when you saw it?

Yes, yes I did.

Back in 1998 I was looking for a new place to live. Judith and I had split up and whilst I had kept on the Marion Street apartment I had grown reasonably uncomfortable staying in it and so out I went looking for a new place.

I did all my house hunting by cab, I had seen one place overlooking Lyall Bay that I really like, or was it the two women that had caught my eye? I had visited a bunch of lovely lads on Orangi Kaupapa Road in a cute wee place, and here I was standing in the kitchen of the final place I could be arsed looking at.

It was a nice house in Northland, one other fella. I knew once I walked in that it was not really me, "No worries mate, fancy a cup of tea?" Perfect, it had been a long day, and off he went to sort some stuff out before brewing up.

I was left in his kitchen. 

Looking around I saw he'd obviously been on his OE, recently-ish as well from the photos all stuck over the corkboard, I wonder where he'd been.

"Hah, that's me right there!"

Yup, there was me in one this guys photos. I recognised it as a street party in Clapham Old Town that Jude and I had been at as we were residents. Being tall, and briefly a bleached blonde, Jude stood out in the crowd and it took me a few more seconds to spot myself.

When the guy came back into to make the tea I was again, "Hah, that's me right there!" and it caused much merriment, a lot of sharing of London stories, and those, 'well well well, heh, well I never' type comments. It was both funny and odd, made me realise how small the world is when inside bubbles (both white, both youngish, both came from lands with strong British connections, both travelers).

I left, I never saw that photo again but I tell many people the story, and now I have told you.

Have you ever seen an accidental photo of you? How did you feel when you saw it?