{"id":13379,"date":"2026-04-17T16:00:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T20:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/?p=13379"},"modified":"2026-04-17T17:16:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T21:16:00","slug":"why-do-certain-faces-feel-familiar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rickollie.com\/es\/2026\/04\/17\/why-do-certain-faces-feel-familiar\/","title":{"rendered":"My Strange Encounter on a Boston Subway"},"content":{"rendered":"

Familiar Faces<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before writing this, I had to ask myself why I\u2019m exploring this topic at all \u2014 why certain faces feel familiar even before a word is spoken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the answer is simple: this is part of my healing. Life leaves us with relationships, connections, and moments that stay with us long after they\u2019ve passed. Sometimes the only way to understand them is to look back honestly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In doing so, I\u2019ve started to notice patterns in the kinds of faces and expressions that draw my attention. And it’s made me wonder why certain people feel familiar, even without a word being spoken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing helps me try to understand it. As I look back at past relationships, I try to discover where things went wrong. Along with what not to look for again that caused it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Portrait<\/a>
Reflecting on<\/strong> why certain faces capture our attention before we ever know the person behind them.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This isn’t about love, and what\u2019s inside someone\u2019s heart. It’s about the moment before any of that happens. It’s about the very moment I see someone\u2019s face and its attraction that begins to pull me in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why that person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the faces I see daily pass by without much thought. I notice them for a second and move on. But every once in a while, a face appears that makes me pause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the eyes capture me first. Not just their shape or color, but the feeling behind them. Eyes that look thoughtful, kind, and quietly confident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other times, it\u2019s a smile. Not the one for a profile photo, but one that looks natural. The type of smile that feels genuine and inviting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is it that draws me in? I find myself asking that question more and more lately, too. While remembering I’ve been hurt enough for one lifetime and don’t need it happening again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When One Face Reminds Me of Another<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Recognition is a powerful thing<\/em>. Sometimes I’m not just seeing a face, I’m seeing an echo of someone I once cared about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s another layer to attraction that\u2019s even more interesting to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find myself wondering something I never expected to ask. Am I drawn to a person because of who they are? Or is there something about them that reminds me of someone who once made me feel special?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe I’m searching for the same person all over again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or maybe it’s some type of energy ‘The Universe<\/strong>‘ is using on me. Thus, trying to lead me back to where I once was happier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s like hearing a melody that reminds me of a song. But the notes are different, yet something about it feels familiar enough to make me stop and listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a Face Feels Familiar<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One such experience in particular still comes to mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2023 I was riding a subway train in Boston. It was an ordinary ride; people scattered through the car. Each person focused on their own little world. Across from me sat a woman who suddenly began staring at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At first, I didn\u2019t think much of it. But then I noticed something about her that caught my attention. Her face felt familiar. The shape of her eyes and the warmth in her expression hit me too. As did the natural ease of her smile. She reminded me of two people I once knew that have left my life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Boston<\/a>
A quiet moment on a Boston subway platform \u2014 the kind of ordinary place where unexpected memories and reflections sometimes begin.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Different women, different lives, yet somehow there was a shared look. A look that I’ve become attracted to. Instantly I felt a quiet pull towards her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We never spoke a word during the ride. But our eyes stay affixed to one another the entire journey. Every now and then, I still think about her. And how unaware she was of how much she resembled two others for whom I once had love for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also wonder what she was thinking. Did I seem familiar to her too? Was she studying my face for the same reason I was studying hers? Sometimes I wish I had spoken to her but then again, I’m glad I didn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s one of those small mysteries that has stayed with me. Not because anything happened. But because something could’ve happened, had either of us spoken up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe some moments in life are meant to stay exactly as they are, unfinished but meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where This Started<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I actually started writing this in early March. At the time, it was going to be something different. More structured. More analytical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I planned to include insight from my therapist, Agnes<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, someone who could help explain the patterns I was starting to notice. Why certain faces stood out. Why some people felt familiar before I even knew them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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