I love that story and can totally relate to it - after having my son 18 years ago, someone in a swing park asked me what I’d decided to call him in the end - I had no recollection of ever having met her before, and yet she knew all the names that had been on my shortlist. I was mortified. Ditto to rarely wearing my glasses - I quite like zoning out from the world, but do worry about not even seeing someone I know as they pass by and seeming rude 🙈.
I once walked into a new bar to me and said winningly to a lady at the bar, ‘Hello, I’m Barnaby have we met before? Thinking we hadn’t. And she said… yes we have! And threw a glass of wine in my face.
This is me, too! And you have made me feel a lot better knowing that Hemingway thought this was endemic to journalists. I also always assume no one will remember/recognise me and hate the thought of making anyone feel uncomfortable. And just to add a terrible social-media age twist, I also have a bad habit of remembering people I know online by their handles only, not their proper names. It's caught me out more than once when I've gone to introduce them to someone I'm with....
Hi Anna how are you. I can totally see where you are coming from, thank you for sharing.
so lovely to hear from you, Andrew xx
I love that story and can totally relate to it - after having my son 18 years ago, someone in a swing park asked me what I’d decided to call him in the end - I had no recollection of ever having met her before, and yet she knew all the names that had been on my shortlist. I was mortified. Ditto to rarely wearing my glasses - I quite like zoning out from the world, but do worry about not even seeing someone I know as they pass by and seeming rude 🙈.
I am so pleased it's not just me!
I once walked into a new bar to me and said winningly to a lady at the bar, ‘Hello, I’m Barnaby have we met before? Thinking we hadn’t. And she said… yes we have! And threw a glass of wine in my face.
This is me, too! And you have made me feel a lot better knowing that Hemingway thought this was endemic to journalists. I also always assume no one will remember/recognise me and hate the thought of making anyone feel uncomfortable. And just to add a terrible social-media age twist, I also have a bad habit of remembering people I know online by their handles only, not their proper names. It's caught me out more than once when I've gone to introduce them to someone I'm with....
I mean, me and some of my close friends do refer to each other by our handles...
If it's any comfort, I think this is more common than you realise, but very funny nevertheless. Thank you for telling it.
Alex
Oh I'm so glad you think so, Alex!
phew!!