I’m not Natalie Cole so I think I’m eminently forgettable. I’m a fairly quiet and reserved person by nature.
Combine that with the fact that I have one of those annoying brains that remembers the most arcane and useless info. I remember dates, places, people, names, and facts. But often the truly important eludes me.
It’s a common occurrence for me to be introduced to someone I’ve already met who says, “Nice to meet you,” as they extend their hand.
About half the time, I just shake their hand and say, “Nice to meet you, too.”
The other half of the time, I shake their hand and say, “We actually met before.” Then I tell them where and when and all kinds of other details.
For example, a couple of weeks ago, I told a woman, “Oh, we met several years ago. It was winter. You were sitting in that chair over there and having hot chocolate. I remember you’re an artist, right?”
She looked at me like I said King Kong was coming up the stairs behind her.
I quickly added, “I’m not a stalker, I just have one of those minds.”
But several times in the last few weeks, I’ve introduced myself to someone I’ve only known online or reintroduced myself to someone I’d met several years ago. Each time they responded, “Oh, I know who you are, Carrie.” Or, “I remember you.” Or, “I love your posts online.”
Each time I was taken aback. I wanted to say, “Oh, my gosh, you know/remember/recognize my name?? But, I’m not memorable. I’m a nobody.”
Apparently, I’m a bit more memorable than I thought.
So my next question is: Am I memorable because of something good or something bad?
I hope it’s for something good. I try to be circumspect and encouraging in my online communication. I don’t always succeed though, so there’s a chance I’ve said something scurrilous and brought a bad memory to mind.
What about you? Do you remember names, dates, faces? Or do you meet new people all the time, even when you’ve met them before?
Writer of Sweet Small Town Stories of Love and Family 