I’m embarrassed.
Kasia November 19th, 2007
The Canuck already knows that I identify my neighbors primarily by their pets. Oh, not so much the people in my immediate building; I know their names and faces. But when I’m out walking around the neighborhood, I recognize the dogs first and foremost, and then I might be able to successfully identify the people.
In my old neighborhood there was the full-sized Schnauzer, Harry. I forget his owner’s name offhand, but in my defense I *did* know it when I lived there. And there was Mickey, the little Shih Tzu. His owner was named Anne, but I learned that much later than I learned the dog’s name.
In my new neighborhood, there’s the Brittany spaniel, Austin. I don’t know his person’s name, but whenever I see him I shout “AUSTIN!” for all the city to hear. I then pet him, and say hello to whoever’s walking him, which is sometimes his owner and sometimes a friend of hers.
Then there’s Summer, the little miniature chihuahua, whose person I don’t know. And Gracie, the big Golden Retriever-looking dog who’s also 1/3 wolf, whose person I don’t know either.
There’s Daphne, the little black dog with a white patch on her chest. Is she ever a lovebug! She is just too sweet for words! Her owner, a woman about my age, actually recognized me in Kroger and identified herself to me as my neighbor. I couldn’t place her at all until she said she was Daphne’s owner. Boy, was my face red! (But I still don’t remember her name…)
Now, seeing as I know I have this issue, I do try to make a point of remembering faces and names. But when my primary interaction with someone is via the Internet, sometimes it’s difficult.
I recognize Mrs. Kheldar without a problem. I can even place her (tie face to name and how I know her) in five seconds or less, usually less, which for me with someone I primarily interact with online is pretty darned good.
However, I think I may have discovered yesterday that I use that associative memory (pairing people with their dogs, cats, kids, or spouse) a little too much. I am pretty sure I saw Matt S., a.k.a. Kheldar, at the parish town hall meeting yesterday. I saw him. I knew he looked familiar. But I wasn’t sure.
And then it hit me: I have never seen him without at least one of his children around. Usually Lily at least is with him, and sometimes the others as well, to say nothing of Mrs. Kheldar.
So Matt, if that was you, please accept my heartfelt apologies. Mea maxima culpa.
Well, they do say “love my dog (kid, toy, etc.), love me”; or something like that.
)
I’m the same way. Decent with some faces, horrible with names. I’m really good at pulling off the, “Hey, you, how’ve you been?” without giving myself away.
It’s even worse with kids and teens. I’ve worked at a youth retreat center for about 9 years now. Probably seen close to 100,000 young teens. That entire age group is one giant blur in my mind. I’ve bumped into kids a day later and not remembered who they were. But again, I’ve gotten good at faking it when I get the inevitable “Do you remember me?” question. If I’m this bad at my age, I dread to think what I’ll be like as I get older.
Kasia – how funny, because I just posted a comment about this very phenomenon – people being identified by their “familial” relationship to a pet or smal child. Go and look at my reply to Karen’s comment at my posting “All Creatures Great and Small.”
A person who truly amazes ,me with his memory is the principal of my kids’ school, Brad Snyder. He knows every child’s name AND seems to be able to quite handily pick out their parents as well, with knowledge of their first names!
Nope, wasn’t me. I didn’t get to make it out to the parish meeting…too busy with the new child.
How was it?
Well, now I’m even more embarrassed because I thought someone else was you!!!
Glad I didn’t go up and start asking how Heather and the kids were…I know Heather’s a common name, but the odds that this guy has a wife named Heather too are pretty slim.
It had a great turnout – 100 or 150 people, and a wide range of ages. Probably 25 – 80 or so. The facilitator commented more than once on how good the turnout was, and how nice it was that young people were showing up too. Apparently at most parishes they get a dozen or so elderly parishioners and that’s it.
I was a little disconcerted by some of the responses given, but I think that if they take the whole of what was offered and try to implement it, we’ll end up with a reasonable integration of the more orthodox parishioners with the sort of SOVII parishioners. I suspect that that’s what we need: to grow together rather than to veer off in either direction.
And when you get a minute, tell us how the newest Siekierski is doing and how Mom and Dad are doing too. But no rush – we know new babies mean busy parents!!!
Ha! You said that at least you didn’t go up and ask him how Heather was. Now, I did go up to a girl and say, “Hey! How are you? Did you get through reading I Samuel?” She was like, “What?”
“You know, I Samuel…. For class?”
“Umm, I’m not in a bible study.”
“You’re not?!?” (And keep in mind, she knew *exactly* who *I* was…)
“No.”
“You’re not in Bible study on Wednesday nights with me?!?”
“No, I’m at RCIA with you, Tuesday nights.”
“Oh, whoops. I forget where I know people from…. So…. Have you ever read I Samuel?….”
It’s too funny, I really don’t know who people are, and they know everything about me. Especially if I see people out of context. I suddenly will have no idea if I know you from high school, the Navy, work, college, church, anything.