Greywolf's last thread about different situations got me to thinking. I've realized that most people know me and who i am. I, however, usually have no clue as to who they are. For example, when i started college, ( after only a month or less) i'd be walking down the hall with my friends or roommates and people would always say hi Shannon, and naturally, i'd say hi how are you doing. We'd pass and i'd look at my friends and ask "who was that do you know them?" Friends would always say "no but they know you and not me!" Eventually after seeing them enough and being with different friends i'd figure out who they were and how i met them, or finally i would ask them how they knew me. Yes i'm bad with names, but most of these people i've never even introduced myself to which was why it was so odd. I never thought anything of it, until i started my new job and it's a large organization.....soon after i started most people i'd see in the hall or wherever would always say Hi Shannon, again naturally i'd say Hi there how are you doing, all the while wondering who are you and how do you know my name. I've come to realize that some how people always know who i am even though i often havent met them to introduce myself. Eventually i figure out their names and who they are but still never know how they know me by name. I always feel bad because i dont know their names, but i always play it off like i know them and eventully by aksing other people i figure out their names and can say Hi so and so. I just find it so weird that everyone no matter where i work or socialize know's who i am after only a short while even though I am not the one to introduce myself. (And no i'm dont have a deformity or a third eye i'm just an normal looking person like everyone else, Does this happen to anyone else, or is it just me?

 

I see people I know all the time. I can't place where or how, but I know them.

 

In sales it was important that I remembered names so I made it a habit to repeat names and make a mental picture of them. I probably met a hundred Bills or Johns for every Shannon so remembering you would be easier.
Dono

 

My problem is I've never met or introduced myself to most of these people they just somehow know who i am! That's what so strange about it! Once i figure out who they are it takes a while but i can remember their names...it's how the heck they know me that is weird.

BTW Dono did you give up on running for President? Havent seen Dono for president in awhile!! But i may have missed something!

 

I try (try...) to keep up a phone contact list that I call my "Farley File".

It's a box full of 3 x 5 index cards with info about individual businesses (like the local off-road parts supplier) that I update as I go, or even just use as a number reference. You can add peoples names, and fire off a quick "SO- is Jesse (or whoever) still there?" and sound like you halfway kinda know whats up.

"Farley" was a politician. He had a file on his desk with all kinds of stuff in it: Wives names, kids names, birthdays, cars, and all sorts of background info - so that he could make small talk that made him seem as if he had an iedetic memory (photographic).

But that doesn't help in person. I can just picture "Farley" on the street...

"Hello mister...(excuse me while I bring my desk around here, ummm....) "Jones? Is that right? Dang - where did that sucker go...."

I key on faces, and body language, but dog gone if I can put faces and names together for a while... I know exactly who I'm talking to, but dunno what to call them.

And it's rude to mess up someones name on them! So I have learned to say:
"Man... (or "Ma'am") I am terrible at remembering names, it takes me a while. What did you say your name was?"

It's not GREAT, but is less embarrassing than calling everybody "FRED" or something

Some folks remember names first. Some key off of knick names. And some people just mask it by calling everyone BUBBA or something, until they pin down who folks are. As n ear I can tell - my name was "Buddy" for the first three weeks I was back home, but I never questioned it.

~Wolfuss

 

When shaking hands... repeat their name. "Bob, nice to meet you!" It actually works. I thought I was the worst and probably still am.

 

It happends to me all the time.

Sometimes it is like people just come out of nowhere, here they are, and where the heck are they from. It sucks.

 

I am hopeless with names, and always end up using the "so whats going on chief/sailor/captain etc.?"

 

Funny - but my neighbor tends to say:

"What's up, Beaudreau? (pronounced: "BUD-ROW")"

And even he don't know where he picked it up from...

The BAD part is - when you meet an incredibly FINE babe - and you know her from somewhere. High school, prior job - it don't matter! And you remember how cute and sweet she was, how erotic she seemed, but the name is a flat out "DUHHHH...."

I would have to rate that at a fun-meter reading of minus sixty five!
(Don't ask - I know what I said there)
*winks*
Yep -Been there, dunnit. It's hard to patch up...

They (you know - "THEM"?) say go and collect a bunch of ladies, and then pick from among 'em. I'd rather find one that seems a lot like me, and go from there.

There must be someone as crazy as me someplace...


~Wolf

 

My memory is like an always empty box, or a tape player stuck on erase. I'm too old and ugly for most women to come up and say hello, but guys do it and I usually don't remember them. (I would remember a hot woman, but still not their name probably). So I started saying things like "hey chief, how you doing, or yo haven't seen you for awhile". I think people must think I am just dumb or something.

 

My mind is like a steel trap when it comes to remembering people....Old, rusted and outlawed in 48 states

I am horrible when it comes to remembering people.. Names, snowballs chance in Floriduh...

I always have people comming up to me saying "Hey Bill whats up?" Everyone who knows me knows I am famous for nicknames because I dont remember names

 

try using a HP IPAQ, great for storing names, numbers, addresses, dates, etc. even has spots for spouses and children. holds pictures too. you can even set it to remind you of events, birthdays, anniverseries, etc.
It is the modern day "Farley file". I have about 1000 files on mine.

 

I am a salesman and I am terrible at names.

I get busines cards of people when I meet them and if they don't have one I write their name down. It all gets put in ACT. When I go in somewhere I go thru ACT before I walk in and try to put a face with a name.

Even when I forget I am usually pretty good at never having it come up

Mike

 

This happened to me one time, in a very weird place....i live in Cleveland, Tennessee and i was up with some of my friends in Gatlinburg(about a 2 hour drive from where i live) to do some skiing.....and while i was on the ski lift about half way up the mountain i here my name being called out from behind me???? now all my friends were on the same lift i was, so i turned around i saw some dude and he said "Hey Josh, How is it goin bud"....and i was really confused cause i faintly remember seing the guy from somewhere before, but i couldnt put my finger on it, so i just said "Hey Man"...i was gonna find em on the mountain but there was alot of people so it didnt work out, and to this day i still dont remember where the hell ive seen that guy before

 

I'm the same way. A lot of people remember me because I'm probably the only chick in the world that has a Toyota Supra and a sportbike. So they either call me Supra or "6" because I have a 2004 Yamaha R6. I don't mind those names really. Whatever floats your boat.

But I'm the world's worst for remembering other people's names. I remember them by the car/bike they have...not their name. So I just wave and say hello to them. I hardly ever use first names. It's more fun givin people nicknames anyway

The oddest thing is when I go out of state for a bike/car event random people walk up to me that I've never met before and introduce themselves and they know exactly who I am and what I ride/drive. haha I don't find it weird really, I look at it as they are friends I just haven't met yet.

When all else fails, put on the biggest smile ever, that's what I do.