Who are you??

[FleetsidePaul]

This has happened to me twice just this last week.

Someone walks up to me and says Hi Paul. And shakes my hand.

The problem is that I have no idea who this person is. They obviously know me. They know my name. They're not selling anything just being friendly and saying hello.

Now I feel like a jerk because they know me and I can't remember who they are.

I'm terrible at remembering names. Which was really bad when I was single. I'd meet a girl and 5 minutes later I wouldn't remember what her name was. That's not a real smooth move.

Now I live in a very small town and everybody knows everybody. Except me. I may have met them. But I draw a blank trying to remember when and where.

[Ol Blue K20]

It's a conspiracy aimed at driving you nuts! Apparently it's working......lol

['63GENIII]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

It's a conspiracy aimed at driving you nuts! Apparently it's working......lol

My coffee almost came through my nose.

Thanks Dale

FWIW Paul, I sometimes meet 50 new people per week at my work. I remember MAYBE 4-5 of their names. Ive tried the "say the person's name in a sentence" thing and other ways to remind but it has never worked.

I've resigned myself to being the aholeo that is trying to read their badge while they are walking up. And when their badge is flipped backwards their name is 'hey buddy".

[truckster]

Yeah, it happened to me this past Saturday. I was at Harbor Freight, and someone said hello and was asking about my family. Usually I can at least remember a face, but not in this case...

I also have four sons who look just like me. It's not uncommon for me to be out and about and have someone ask, "Hey, are you _____'s dad?" Two of them are identical twins, and I've had people tell me I look more like their twin than the real twin. In fact, Facebook has tagged me as one of my sons more than once. Of course, if you look at the lines in the face, it's a whole lot easier to tell who's who.

[Boog]

Many, many years ago I took a Dale Carnegie course about something or other. Memory or something. Well don’t bother taking that course, it didn’t work.

[kingsolver72]

Are you wearing a shirt with the name Paul on it?
It happens to me to. Sometimes they call me by my older brothers name.
It gets awkward for them when I tell them I’m not him.

[1976gmc20]

It wasn't me, Phil. I'm terrible at remembering names.

[67C10Step]

Originally Posted by Boog

Many, many years ago I took a Dale Carnegie course about something or other. Memory or something. Well don’t bother taking that course, it didn’t work.

I took a Dale Carnegie course on how to win friends and influence people back in the early 1990's. Won a pen for a speech I gave but somewhere in the past decades I have lost it. So much for that memory.

I meet new people a lot in my daily work, well, at least when I get to travel I do. Anyway, here is what I do, when I meet someone new if they have a name that is the same as someone I already know I picture the person I know hugging this new person. I know, it sounds dumb but it works for me.

[davischevy]

Up intil a few months ago I wore a company uniform with my name on it, plus I have been in business here for almost 50 years.

I just respond with "Hey Buddy" or "Hey girl" and go on.

I forget faces, but I remember voices forever.

How old are you Paul? That figures into the equation.

[special-K]

I'm a Hey Buddy/Hey Girl guy, too. It may seem impersonal, but I have never gotten into using a person's name when I am speaking to them. I'll do it when I write. But speaking in person I just don't say, "Hey Bill, how ya been?". It's just "How ya been?". I guess I'm lying. I'll use your name, such as "Hey Bill", but I never interject your name into conversation. But even when I know your name my recollection can be so bad I'm lucky to get "Hey" out before you think I ignored you

I had a short conversation with this one old guy I've always seen around town and wave to. I hadn't seen him in a while, same as I hadn't seen good old Courtney, the best doggone radiator man you ever saw who closed his doors a while back, which is who I thought I was talking to until some time later that day

I have had people swear up and down that I am somebody else who they know. I mean more than once. Once when I was in Florida I went with my buddies to a party in another town. No sooner had we gotten there and it seemed a group of guys there were having unfriendly intentions with me and I had no idea why. A friend we were visiting, who knew everyone there, went up and asked what their problem was and they were about to jump me for ripping them off earlier that night! It's a good thing he knew them and knew I had just then gotten to town.

The Who - Who Are You Lyrics (FULL VERSION) -...

[Indian113]

You do realize maybe so many people wouldn't know you Paul if your picture wasn't in every post office in the USA!

[Palf70Step]

I am very good at remembering faces, but not worth a **** when it comes to names, so I can get easily confused.

[DPowers]

You could always say "I should know you but having a hard time remembering".

[toms68cst]

I work construction sites in Western ND. I can readily recognize someone wearing a hard hat, safety glasses and a Safety vest on a particular site under particular circumstances. If I meet he same person off site in a public place out of context, I often don't recognize them.

I've had people get upset if I don't recognize them out of context.

[mongocanfly]

I'm terrible at names...I do like other Larry..."hey man" is my go to most of the time...I have have had people call my bluff though..them-you dont remember me do you?...me- not a clue...

[special-K]

I'm Hey Buddy to a lot of people. I get around all over and am familiar to a great many people all over, not just my area, but most wouldn't know my name if you asked them and I don't know theirs. I may know them from any number of things like work, kids, hobbies, etc. Could know them from last year or haven't seen in 50. So I might recognize someone but it's in a different area or not doing what I relate them with and it jams me all up.

Set up at Carlisle you know people you only see there, but it's been for decades. I'm amazed at how well I remember pretty much anyone I have sold parts to before. There must be some kind of magic going on

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Ol Blue K20

It's a conspiracy aimed at driving you nuts! Apparently it's working......lol

That's not going to be a long trip. Trust me. In fact I think I'm already there.

At least that's what someone told me. I can't remember their name.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

I have always been bad with names or when I see people out of context.

Many times I have changed people's names on the job sites, and then at lunch they dont understand why everyone calls the steve or what ever.

Or I had a GF over a summer, and she was always in shorts. Saw here in winter wearing pants and a sweatshirt. Had no idea who she was till she mentioned where I took her.

My friend was with this girl who would usually wear here hair in a bun. My son liked her till she had her hair down, and he wouldn't have anything to do with her. She pulled her hair up in front of him, and he ran to her. Must be in the genes

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by Ziegelsteinfaust

I have always been bad with names or when I see people out of context.

Many times I have changed people's names on the job sites, and then at lunch they dont understand why everyone calls the steve or what ever.

Or I had a GF over a summer, and she was always in shorts. Saw here in winter wearing pants and a sweatshirt. Had no idea who she was till she mentioned where I took her.

My friend was with this girl who would usually wear here hair in a bun. My son liked her till she had her hair down, and he wouldn't have anything to do with her. She pulled her hair up in front of him, and he ran to her. Must be in the genes

I am usually always dressed in black and one day I had on a red jacket .And my German Shepherd started snarling at me. I guess he didn't know who I was.

Or he doesn't like red. I don't know.

[davischevy]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

I am usually always dressed in black and one day I had on a red jacket .And my German Shepherd started snarling at me. I guess he didn't know who I was.

Or he doesn't like red. I don't know.

The other night my computer died. I looked up and there was this really nice looking lady sitting on the couch next to me.

I said "Who are you, have you been sitting there long?". She snarled like that.

Let me think. Was I wearing red?

[mongocanfly]

Haha...good way to get bit other Larry..!!

[FleetsidePaul]

Originally Posted by davischevy

The other night my computer died. I looked up and there was this really nice looking lady sitting on the couch next to me.

I said "Who are you, have you been sitting there long?". She snarled like that.

Let me think. Was I wearing red?

I'm usually buck naked when women snarl at me.

I guess it's hard to hide disappointment.

[truckster]

I use, "Hey, how are you? It's good to see you. What have you been up to lately?" Sometimes the answer will give me a clue I can use.

[Stocker]

After reading through this thread, I'm starting to feel just a bit more normal.

[Steeveedee]

Originally Posted by FleetsidePaul

This has happened to me twice just this last week.

Someone walks up to me and says Hi Paul. And shakes my hand.

The problem is that I have no idea who this person is. They obviously know me. They know my name. They're not selling anything just being friendly and saying hello.

Now I feel like a jerk because they know me and I can't remember who they are.

I'm terrible at remembering names. Which was really bad when I was single. I'd meet a girl and 5 minutes later I wouldn't remember what her name was. That's not a real smooth move.

Now I live in a very small town and everybody knows everybody. Except me. I may have met them. But I draw a blank trying to remember when and where.

Yeah, but who are you?