People that I used to work with, people I currently work with or people I see around but don't know, I am hopeless at thinking quickly and putting the name to the face to the place.
There was an auction in our street last week, the house was just two doors up so we stood outside to see how it went. On the front lawn was another family and I kept thinking the woman looked familiar. I decided she must be from the same swim school as us, or maybe her kids do dancing and I have seen her there, or perhaps the little boy was from creche last year. There were over 100 people at the auction so I quickly roamed around to see who else was there and then listened to the auction.
Then yesterday a lady at work asked me if I knew Emma, a photographer who had taken my photo. No, I said, I don't know any Emma at all, and I haven't had any photos taken by an Emma. You must she said, because your face is on the promotional brochure that I got in the mail. Nope, I said, it can't be me, must be someone who looks like me.
She said she is really good with faces and even though we have only met a couple of times she KNOWS it is me. I had to think and think and think.
Then I googled my own blog.
Yes! That's right. I remember Emma. Yes. We did have some photos taken. Yes, Emma is really lovely, I loved the day she took the photos.
I started flicking through them again and saw this one.
Last year when I saw that photo I hated that mole near my mouth. It's the first thing that I always see in every photo of me. But now it's gone. Still healing, still a month of sticky tape on my face to wear, but it is out, it was totally cancer free, and it is gone.
When I told the girls it was coming off, Immy was worried that she wouldn't know which Mummy was hers when she came out for school pick up. I told her not to worry I would call out her name, just to be sure.
And while I was waiting around for the Preppy doors to open I noticed another woman. The same one from the auction. Yes, that's it. Our kids are in the same class at school.
How good are you at remembering faces?
I was only speaking about this with a friend yesterday. I am hopeless and suffer from lack of self-confidence. I think I know their name but don't want to look like a total idiot if I get it wrong, so I talk myself out of it! Hopeless!
ReplyDeleteI am totally like this! Hopeless with faces and names. Yep.
ReplyDeleteI usually know a face - but shocking at names and so have to avoid people on occasion when I know I should know a name and I just can't call it up... usually about an hour later (when the occasion has long past) bing the name pops into my head - hopeless. More recently I have become worse and I think that's because I have 2 kids at school now and multiple after school activities which means the pool of faces out there has just doubled and my poor brain isn't keeping up. It's only downhill from here isn't it?? cripes.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I always remember faces but I am terrible with names. And when I say good with faces, I can see someone in an obscure place and think to myself "Gee, I know that person" and then forget about it, then a few hours later a lightbulb will go off over my head and I suddenly remember exactly how I know that person and it's usually that they worked in a store I once went to, or I served them once working in the bookshop or something weird and totally random like that. It's very weird, and totally frustrating while I wait for my subconscious to spew forth the answer.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that photo of you - so natural. I am ok with faces - but names? Oh I suck at names! xx
ReplyDeleteGood with faces hopeless with names I'm afraid! x
ReplyDeleteyep I'm the same
DeleteI'm pretty good with faces and names but my Husband is the opposite. I'm always the one reminding him of people's names when we are out. Years ago I started doing that thing where you really concentrate when you are introduced to someone and try to associate their name with something else.....love that photo of you! xxx
ReplyDeleteYou know I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out. I think I'm pretty good with faces. more often than not I'll forget the name, but I'll remember where I met the person no doubt. love how literal children can be.
ReplyDeleteI remember faces, but get them confused as to where I know them from. And names, aghh! A (long) while ago, when I was a TV journalist/presenter I had an excuse because people recognised me and I had to second-guess myself as to whether I'd actually met them. Now, I guess I can blame (middle) age.
ReplyDeleteI tend to be pretty good at names and faces....but I think I have to have spoken to the person. Then I try to remember something about them and it just sticks in my head.
ReplyDeleteI use to be really good, now I think I just have too much to remember or I'm possibly getting old. Thanks for linking up at Agent Mystery Case as part of our Worth Casing blogger of the month. I'm looking forward to 'casing' your blog.
ReplyDelete