For those of us who have lived in Milwaukee our whole lives, it's difficult to go into public without seeing someone we know. Personally, I have lived within one square mile for most of my life -- and have held a series of high-profile jobs -- so anonymity is even more challenging.

Much of the time, I love seeing people I know in public. Milwaukee offers a "small town" feeling even though it's a medium-sized city, and that has always been very appealing to me. Sometimes, however, I just want to run to the grocery store wearing my dorky glasses and not run into anyone. Inevitably, I always do.

Maybe I should save this question for the Sunday Sound-off, but In such cases, is it OK to pretend not to see someone? I don't mean to completely blow them off, but let's say you think you see someone you know in the frozen foods, and you decide to avoid that section for a while, just so you don't have to chat it up.

Do humans have an unspoken understanding that sometimes we just can't acknowledge each other because we just don't have the energy for small talk?

I admit, I have done this, and I have experienced the other end of it too. Usually I attempt to be friendly, outgoing and enthusiastic in public, especially when "bumping into" people I don't know very well or haven't see in a while But sometimes I just want to blend into the crowd, be the proverbial wallflower, slip away into the daylight unnoticed.