Long Anecdote (even for me)

It's actually two anecdotes, but they're mildly related.

My fiance (I NEVER get tired of saying that, isn't that silly?) isn't incredibly great with names. Lots of people are like this but he's kinda bad about it. It's understandable though because he saw SO many people come and go at his job, and he's easily recognizable, whereas all those people really aren't.

Anyways, he just doesn't really remember people too well. We were at the grocery store on Sunday and he's wandering around with a red balloon (you'll just have to write if you want THAT part explained) while I'm checking the prices on some vegetables. My cell phone rang and it was Curly Sue. She wanted to know if I knew if Scott was at the Farm Fresh right then. I turned around and she's maybe 3 feet from me and I say (to her and not into the phone) "Um, yeah and I'm standing here right behind you too." She turned around and we started laughing. She said she spotted Scott because he was kind of hard to miss, lugging that red balloon around. She said she wanted to go up and say hi but she didn't think he would remember her.

I told her she should go up and talk to him and then just act like they knew each other for a long time, real well. You know, fuck with him. She wouldn't do it, she caved early. Oh well. I just wanted her to mess with him long enough for it to be obvious that he had NO idea who she is. (He's only met her maybe once or twice so it's not even crazy that he wouldn't remember her.)

Well, tonight I finally a) got a real dose of what it's like to be in that situation and b) met someone who has taken remembering people to a whole other level...

I was again at the Farm Fresh -- different one this time, as if it matters -- and as I'm checking out this voice calls out, "Did you get your college classes worked out, Heather?" I'm looking around for a face that I know and I see none. A woman standing right in front of me, smiling at me and repeating the question. She said, "Your name is Heather, right? And you are taking college classes?" It was surreal, I tell you. I had NO idea who this woman was and yet she knew me well enough to know these things about me. Odd. She soon realized I had no idea who she was and told me that she was in the room waiting with me while I waited for a counselor. To register for my classes. On November 20th. In fact, it happened so long ago that I had to dig through the blog to find the reference! Remember when I had the captive audience and had to go see the counselor after my crappy placement test scores? Yeah, you're reading this crap and YOU barely remember it!!

Anyways, the story is that when I signed in for my appointment, I noted that there was a Heather right before me. So, I made a mental note not to get too excited when they called Heather. So, when they called the other Heather, I interrupted my own running commentary to announce to anyone willing to listen that since the first Heather was called, I was NEXT!! That was when THIS girl said that meant SHE didn't have to wait that long because SHE realized that there were two Heathers in front of her when she signed in.

But, still. To remember THAT? After all this time? Does my obnoxious craving for attention make that lasting of an impression? Wait, pretty sure I don't want an answer to that. (Which means, Tony is bound to comment!) Maybe her life is just that dull?? But, she works in a grocery store (I forgot to mention that, she worked there), so she a crap ton of people all day.

It's weird. And scary. Maybe she told people about the crazy girl in the waiting room and that's why it made an impression??

I don't know. But when you think about how you really do have an effect on every person you come into contact with, it really kinda blows your mind a little. Doesn't it?

So be careful what you say -- apparently people really are listening and really do remember.

Heather

ps: By the way, did a little catch up with the girl -- whose name is Lanelle. Very sweet girl. She's just changed her major from Radiology to Business Administration. I think that's when you start to realize that you just don't have ANY clue what you want to do when you grow up!