I was just thinking yesterday, "The name of my blog is Rants and Raves, but I really don't Rant very much lately". Then today decided to give me my chance.
See, last week I went to my eye doctor's to make an appointment. I was already in the building to have my glasses fixed. (I broke them back in December during a coughing fit incident. Yes, it has taken me this long to get them fixed? AND? I'm in the middle of a rant here. Do you really want to mess with me?) Anyway, the receptionist informed me that I would have to wait until May to get an appointment, because my insurance won't cover it until then. One problem - I am wearing my last pair of contacts and I've been wearing them a lot longer than I'm supposed to already. I needed to pick Dylan up from school, so I just left.
Today, I went back. I walked up to the desk where my eye doctor was standing, along with a different receptionist and explained what happened the last time. The guy stared blankly at me and asked, "Are you a patient here?" "Uh...Yea...I'm a patient of YOURS", I ever so pleasantly told him. I asked if I could just buy a couple pairs until I can get in for an appointment in May. He said he doesn't have the kind I need in stock. There is more to the story than that, (I'm switching eye doctors now), but the point is... WHY DON'T PEOPLE REMEMBER ME?!
Okay, you are thinking I am blowing this out of proportion. Here's the thing.. It has been happening to me A LOT lately! I am getting a complex.
First, I saw a lady in a store, and I smiled and said "Hello". She just stared at me awkwardly. I said, "I talked to you for a while at such and such park, this past summer". She just smiled weakly, "Oh... right", while stepping slowly away from me. Okay, I thought. I do have a crazy memory for faces. I can meet someone for 5 minutes, see them a year later, and remember their face. Not their name, of course, but their face. But, I even remembered where I had met her, and some of our conversation, and she had no memory of it whatsoever.
Next, I went to a Mom's Club event meeting while Dylan was in school. Granted, I don't get a chance to go to many events. BUT! Here's how it went down...
First one person came up to me and said, "Lisa?" "Uh...no" "Sorry, I thought you were the new member who emailed me".
Then, another person came up with her hand out, "Hi, I'm X. I don't believe we've met". "Yea, actually we have. I met you at Chuck E Cheese's when I was there with my son, and we talked about your son's allergies".
Honestly, I was thinking about standing up and saying "Can I have your attention, please?! My name is JEN. J-E-N. I am NOT a new member. I have been a member for years. I am not Lisa. YOU made a meal for my neighbor at my request, then sent me an email thanking me for allowing you to help. Then, I shared something very personal with you. YOU, I had a lengthy discussion with about allergies. YOU, I gave my pool. Yea, HI! Free Pool? Remember? YOU? My kid goes to school with your kid. HELLO?! J-E-N. Thank you. That is all".
I've been thinking about getting my hair cut shorter, for spring. Maybe I should go with this cut so I stand out a bit more?
5 comments:
I could have written this post, but not as entertaining as you did! That's me. The one everyone forgets about. They know me a little bit around here because I write for the paper, but ask someone I graduated with who I am and they think I'm my friend Julia who read all the time and was/is super smart. She wasn't popular, but she stood out. I didn't. So I'm forever Julia to those I graduated with. Whatever.
I think the mohawk would work. Totally.
Hey--the girls got glasses that don't look broken, the hair must have worked for her ;)
Don't you hate that--it's like people are too busy to be bothered with remembering you.
I SO GET THIS! And I HATE it! I go to the same grocery store every Friday afternoon with all 3 kids. And every week, the same bakery employee looks at me like she has never, ever seen me before when we stop to check out the cakes (my kids are obsessed with looking at all the cakes and picking out the one they want for their birthday even though I always make them a cake.)
What I will add to that (because you've pretty much summed that up perfectly for everyone) is the underlying need to be remembered. I think it validates me as a person when I am remembered, especially when someone remembers my name.
I was shopping yesterday at the store I frequent most often and the store manager (who I met briefly about 6 months ago) passed me in a hurry while I was exiting the store. "How are you, Amber?" he said. And with that, I was on a high for the rest of the day. I felt worth something, important. Because he remembered my name. Something that silly can have such an impact on my feeling of worth. So pathetic, yet so true.
Isn't it amazing how much others actions/behaviors affect us? I had a roommate in college who I looked up to. She had such a kind way with people that I always wanted to replicate. And people always wanted to be near her. We were discussing that one late night and she said her mother taught her to make contact when speaking to someone and remember a name. So she will always touch your arm/shoulder/hand when speaking to you. Sounds silly, but I started doing that years ago and it makes a world of difference. Something about human contact gives your conversation a personal touch. And if nothing else, you may be remembered as the girl who touches people (but at least you will be remembered)!
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