I sat in front of Amy and Lisa on the MUNI, my arm slung over the back of the seat so I could talk to them. Lisa reached over and ran a finger along a faint scar on the exposed part of my arm, but didn't say anything. Amy probably saw it but also didn't say anything. I looked at my arm and we just continued our conversation.

Nothing special except that was exactly the advice I had written somewhere recently on what you should do if you notice something suspicious like that on another person, but aren't close enough to inquire about it. The idiot reaction is typically, "What happened to your arm?"

My advice was, as a first step, just let them know that you notice it, don't ask any questions, don't make them uncomfortable. I didn't specify it, but what Lisa did was what I had in mind. It doesn't make the person uncomfortable, it communicates that you notice it and aren't ignoring it, and it's tactile, there's a level of intimacy, even tenderness, but not enough to invade their space.

Though no one will fault you for just ignoring it, that's totally acceptable.


Martini.