Here is something true about me you may not know, or even realize.
Names confuse me.
I can sing songs from the 50s and 60s, but names of people I know today are often as far away as the moon.
I find it hard to find differences between similar items. Or people, similar or not.
So, when Joni and Cindy come into the Rotary meeting, sometimes Cindy is Cindy, but sometimes she is Joni.
When I see my twin nieces (who do not look alike to anyone else in the western hemisphere), sometimes Charlotte is Samantha and sometimes she isn't.
One time we had twins in fifth grade and the girls switched classrooms in the middle of the day. I did not notice. The class kept giggling whenever I called on Brittany, because they knew I had no clue.
They were not dressed the same, they were not wearing their hair the same....but I failed to pick up on that.
Someone who knows better told me: Just say hello. Don't use a name.
Which is advice hard to follow for an impulsive guy like me.
So when I see Donnie and his son in Headon's today, I say: Hello Andrew. You really are tall!
At home I remembered Andrew is another family. Robbie is Donnie's.
(OK, I actually didn't remember but was informed of my mistake by you know who.)
This is true. One time we were in Eagle Food Store (dates me) and I saw the mother of a boy in my class. I had given him An Important Note. We had checked out when I saw her, so I told Jack to wait a second. I went over to the mom and said: Please look in your son's book bag when you get home. He has an important note.
(Now it's an e-mail, tweet or text. Back then I used paper and pencil.)
The lady looked at me and said, " Ok, I will do that as soon as I get home."
You know where this is going.
Jackie asked me who she was, I told her, and she said the words I hear very often in life: That was not so and so....in other words, she was a stranger.
I can see her now, running home to find the note from the good looking, movie star bodied man who hit on her in Eagle.....or to see what pervert was putting notes in her child's book bag.
I went into Country School recently...twice actually. Called Kaitlin Ashley. I realized my mistake....or should I say it did not seem to be correct when I said it. Also have trouble with Haley and Kelsey...who also work at Country School. Solved that problem by calling Haley KAYLEY....which isn't even a name of someone I know! Let me stress...none of these people look like the other!!
Being a relative does not help. Ben is Michael, sometimes he is Ben. Gabe can be Wade and Wade can be Gabe.
I think it is a problem I have had all my life....which makes me uncomfortable. Do I really know all the names of people I know? How many Joes are really Gus? And is every Mary a Mary?
So when I see you, and I call you the wrong name, or no name, just tell me who you are. It will save me a lot of embarrassment.
And while I don't know a name, I know the person......I can remember their husband's name and all the important parts of their life.
OK, that is a lie. I met the husband of a former colleague at a party and said, "Geeze I know you work at that place, you are married to that woman, you live in that house....but I forgot your name."
It was Terry. Same as me. Which means, I can't even remember my own name!!
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