Don’t you just hate it when you’re out and someone comes up to you and says, “Hey! Long time no see! How are you doing?”
And then you think: Who are you?
Then they start rambling on while you desperately rack your brain trying to place them: Is he an old school chum? A coworker perhaps? Maybe he’s (heaven forbid) even a relative!
We English have one thing that helps: we tend to call everyone “Lovey” — so at least I have a name to fall back on. And as they seem to know me, “Lovey” seems to suffice.
Eventually, the mystery person usually mentions something that rings a bell for me.
Oh, yes! Now I know you! (Although I still don’t remember your name — so calling you “Lovey” will have to do.)
In those awkward situations, I really can’t breathe again until they finally leave.
Aunt Doris
You know, the brain is a funny thing, and as you get older it only gets funnier.
As I tell my son, Kevin, when you get to be 91-years-old, you have so many facts and figures filling up all those brain compartments, it takes a while to sort everything out!
So remember, when you meet an “oldie” like me, please be patient. Sometimes I can’t remember what I did last week — although, funny enough, I can remember things from 60 years ago.
(See, I told you the brain is a funny thing!)
So long for now “Loveys!”
Aunt Doris
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This is an encore edition of an article from my dear Aunt Doris, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 94. This article was originally published on 4 April 2012.
Photo Credit: Dierk Schaefer
I have the same problem Aunt Doris and I’m only 42!
Great observation Ms. Doris. There is that feeling of panic and indecision when you are confronted with that.
“Do I tell them right away that I don’t remember them, or take the chance that I will figure it out? What if they ask me a question?”
I hate when people assume you remember them too. With me the bigger problem used to be phone calls. Someone would phone and I’d be forced to try to place that voice. A lot of times it just wouldn’t come to me right away.
Even worse are the people who laugh and say, “Guess who this is!”
This happens to me all the time. The worst was when our company hired a new guy and I told him he looked familiar and asked where I knew him from. Turns out I interviewed him not two weeks ago… Doh!
This reminds me of the comedian Brian Regan…he always calls people “buckaroo” until they say “my name’s not buckaroo,” to which he replies…”sure it is…..partner.”
My daughter Nina and I love Brian Regan! I think he is the best comedian in America. We saw him in concert last year and he was hilarious — I don’t think I stopped laughing the entire 90 minutes. The best part was we had awesome seats; front and center, 3rd row back.
I’m not even 40 and I can’t remember anything anymore. I have a terrible time with names and my wife has to keep track of everything. oh well…
I too forget names sometimes, especially people I met only once or twice awhile back…seeing them again is a problem since even if I know who they are, I don’t remember their names. Sometimes I just have to be honest and say “What’s you name again?…and then give an excuse of becoming too old already that’s why I forgot. And then I even tell them my name in case they forgot my name too.
When you’re new in a small town, everybody knows you (the “grapevine”).
It’s discombobulating.
This made me laugh. I live in SD now but whenever I went home to NJ to visit, I would run into a certain woman in the stores or on the street. She was about my age, seemed to know everything about me, yet I couldn’t place her at all. She wasn’t a classmate. I would try leading questions: “And how’s your family?” hoping for a name. She would reply, “Oh, they’re fine.” Grrr. I knew I had known her for years so was embarrassed to ask her name. After my parents passed away, I stopped going to NJ and I never did find out who the woman was.
Glad you enjoyed it, Jessie!