Isn't it weird when someone talks to you like they know you but...

[SparklyUnicorn]

you have no idea who they are?  Happened yesterday.  Some guy in the alley was asking how I was doing and how are the boys and they must be big now...etc.  I thought who is this guy.  I have no idea.  So my husband happened to get home about that time and so I asked him later if he knew who that guy was.  He said yeah he was one of the roofers.  He was?  We probably had 20 different people altogether working on it.  How is it he knows so much about me and my kids?  I never talked to any of them except the main guy.

 

Weird. 

 

Oh and then another time a guy said I think I know you, do you remember me?  I said no you really don't look familiar.  He said yeah you were at blah blah house (can't recall the name).  Later I looked it up it was a drug rehab place.  I said no I never heard of that.  He said maybe you have a sister.  I said I do, but she lives in another state. 

 

So unless I was in drug rehab and totally don't remember...I never saw that guy.

 

 

[theelfqueen]

I made an appointment with my friend's wife to take care of something today. I gave my name (and it's an unusual name). I know friend's wife. We used to hang out a LOT but I have only seen her once or twice in the last two years (since her twins were born)... but her husband comes to my house to play RPGs with DH about once a month.

 

She came out for appointment and introduced herself to me and began to make awkward I-don't-know you types of small talk. I was a little surprised. A few minutes later I said something about when I last saw her DH (A week or so ago) and I saw recognition rush over her. She was SO embarassed. It was actually  comical.

 

[ocelotmom]

I had a new co-worker recently insist that she knew me from somewhere. She did actually look familiar, and I was wondering the same thing, but we couldn't figure out any overlapping history.

 

But then she kept insisting that she knew me, and decided that it *had* to be from the bar on New Year's Eve.

 

I didn't go to the bar on NYE. I don't even live in the town in question, and have never gone to any bars there. But she was very very insistent on this.

 

Add to this the fact that we're both nurses. Not that nurses can't go to bars, but erronously insisting that you previously met someone at a bar on your first day of work is not really a promising sign.

Edited April 27, 2016 by ocelotmom

[Tanaqui]

So unless I was in drug rehab and totally don't remember...I never saw that guy.

 

That's not totally impossible, I suppose :P

[SparklyUnicorn]

That's not totally impossible, I suppose :p

 

LOL

Well he looked pretty um..well worn.  His eyes were very blood shot and he was scraggly.  It was just so weird because he was thoroughly convinced he knew me.

[Carol in Cal.]

That's not totally impossible, I suppose :p

Yeah, kind of like the 60s...I hear that if you can remember them, you weren't there.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Well I was born in 74..so I don't remember the 60s.  So maybe I really was there.

 

:laugh:

[OH_Homeschooler]

I had two separate conversations with someone like this once. After the first time I thought that was strange, and tried to think how she could know me but sort of gave up. The second time, the conversation was very specific--this was clearly someone I should have known--and I still didn't know who the heck she is. But I did recognize her from the previous conversation at least.

 

Then I finally figured out who it was. I had worked with her for a year a decade before then, but she had lost a lot of weight and grew her hair out. She looked like a completely new person. 

[texasmama]

This happened to me at an event this weekend outside the porta potties.  The lady shook my hand and asked to be reminded of my name again.  I just told her, made polite conversation for thirty seconds and moved on.  I didn't have the heart to break the news to her.

[Entropymama]

This happens to me all the time, but it's mostly because my husband is on staff at a large church and is very active in social media. People feel like they know us, and do know some things (the kids started soccer, we had an anniversary) because of Instagram. It's awkward but I've gotten used to it. Mostly.

 

[EMS83]

It happens occasionally, but one time I mistook one person from our homeschool group for someone else, so I was talking to them like they were person A, but they were really person B (I didn't use their name, but still), then something she said made me realize who she was and it was a pretty major head trip.  Hopefully I kept my composure, but I think people think I'm a little nuts anyway.

[SKL]

Well, I don't know if it's strange - I've gotten rather used to it.  :P  I am so bad with names and faces, there's always a good chance I won't recognize someone who "knows" me.

 

A couple weeks ago a mom at soccer came up and started chatting me up like old friends.  Turns out we were in a Sunday School class together a year or two ago.  Could be worse, I guess.  :P

[Minerva]

This happens to me all the time. It drives me nuts. In my case, they always know me, know things about me, might even look a little bit familiar to me, but I really cannot place them. My dh will walk up and say, "Oh yea, remember he was blah, blah, blah." As soon as he says it, I remember everything about the person. It is very frustrating and often embarrassing. 

[Guest]

Well, here's an odd one for you. 

 

I had a woman come up to me at work one day and say that she knew me from somewhere.  I pulled out my standard response, "Oh, do you go to XYZ Church?  Because I am an usher there."  THAT'S IT!   I was more visible because of the job I had.  We got talking and had a great time, and she said, "You HAVE to come down to my office and meet my office-mate!"  So I did, and her office-mate said, "You look familiar!"  :::eyeroll:::  I asked her, "Oh, do you go to XYZ Church?"  She didn't, but she asked ME, "Did you ever live in Boulder, Colorado?  I used to go to First XYZ there."  THAT'S IT!  We had lived in Boulder 8 years earlier.  

 

Isn't that just ODD?

 

[dirty ethel rackham]

I made an appointment with my friend's wife to take care of something today. I gave my name (and it's an unusual name). I know friend's wife. We used to hang out a LOT but I have only seen her once or twice in the last two years (since her twins were born)... but her husband comes to my house to play RPGs with DH about once a month.

 

She came out for appointment and introduced herself to me and began to make awkward I-don't-know you types of small talk. I was a little surprised. A few minutes later I said something about when I last saw her DH (A week or so ago) and I saw recognition rush over her. She was SO embarassed. It was actually  comical.

Oh, this has happened to me.  I've had episodes of face-blindness where I will not remember a person who comes up to talk to me.  One was the mom of my daughter's teammate.  I spent 2 hours talking to her at a competition and when she popped into the gym a week later, I did not recognize her at all.  I hope I didn't embarass myself too badly, but I felt terrible. 

 

Another time, I was organizing a function for homeschoolers at our library and went up to a man who looked a little familiar and introduced myself.  As it turns out, he was the husband of one of the moms in our small history/lit/science co-op and he worked from home so I saw him often AND we had been to their house for dinner!!!  He cooked me a burger to perfection, for crying out loud!  So, every time he saw me thereafter, he would come up and introduce himself, just to tease me. 

[theelfqueen]

Patty - I get the church thing, too... I sing in the choir and used to sing with the praise band (so duets and solos) and so everyone in my enormous church sees ME all the time and I don't know them at all!

 

[Tsuga]

I have terrible face memory so this happens to me all the time. :(

[MistyMountain]

I usually can recognize a face and that I do know someone but I do sometimes forget where I know them from.

[Guest]

I have terrible face memory so this happens to me all the time. :(

I was going to say the same thing. I'm a little on the face blind side and need contextual clues to positively ID people reliably.

 

DH has an amazing ability to remember/recognize people. It's fascinating. He has identified people, "Hey! Didn't you wrestle for Westminster High School about 30 years ago? I think we were matched up against each other a couple times!" It's astonishing.

 

Meanwhile, I have stared blankly at my own neighbor when they've come to the door. "Hi, Mrs. C...it's Rocky, your neighbor." After the big snow, another neighbor met me in the driveway and gave me a wad of cash because DH had cleared his driveway. I am staring at him, internally going, "ooookaaayy. A man I don't know is acting very familiar, calling my husband by name and giving me a pile of money. I'm just gonna act like nothing is weird at all and hope I don't need to say his name."

[hornblower]

I think it can also be a con man trick though.... Strike up a conversation and insist you know the person. Use it for pickpocketing, creating a diversion, or just establishing some relationship where none exists....

Edited April 28, 2016 by hornblower

[Katy]

I think I have one of those faces...  everyone says I look familiar.  When I was younger (and much thinner) I was mistaken for a couple actresses a few times each, neither of which I think I particularly look like.  The problem with that is it goes the other way too.  I've had people angry at me because I gave them the cold shoulder and "Acted like you didn't know me!" at events I absolutely was not at.

[Annie G]

Happens to dh All. The. Time. We'll be out somewhere and some guy will start talking to him and it's clear dh SHOULD know who the person is...they ask things like whether he's getting to drive his Corvette much or whether he's still running the test lab. So the guy will walk away and I open my mouth to ask dh who it was and he stops me- he has no idea. 

 

I would pre-empt that by introducing myself but the problem with that is that I'm equally bad at names and faces and I've done that a few times just to have the person look at me like I'm crazy because we DO know each other.  I introduced myself to a guy who stopped us to chat and he reminded me that I made his daughter's wedding cake.  And attended the reception. 

[Happy]

In my case....I'm the one who comes up to you and calls you by name. Most of my life, I've been excellent with names and faces....if I met you somewhere and got your name, I'd remember it. If you told me about your dog or your job, I generally can mentally pull up that file and ask about it.

 

I know. Don't hate me.

 

Part of it was having a business at a young age--I had to know and remember people because that got me photography clients.

 

Alas...chemotherapy seems to have destroyed the name place in my brain. (I refuse to admit it might be age.) I can remember your name, but it might take an hour or two. Very frustrating.

 

 

[RootAnn]

I'm horrible with names & can't remember where I know people. It makes for terribly embarrassing moments for everyone around me. (My dd#1 laughs whenever she goes through my cell phone contact names because some of them are things like "Mom of Stacy" or "Lady from [Event]."

 

Once, I was introducing a new mom to several homeschool moms in our group at the library. There was one mom who I'd known for at least five years, but I couldn't remember her first or last name. So, I just skipped past her. She held her hand out to the new mom when I got done & introduced herself.   :blushing:

 

Another mom talked to me at the pool when I was talking to another mom friend of mine. I couldn't remember where I'd met Mom 1. When Mom 2 found out Mom 1 was a homeschooler, she shot me this why-didn't-you-introduce-me look. Now, they both know that 1) I have no idea who these people are and 2) I don't remember anyone's name. Several people in town remember when they met me, but I have no idea (still) what their name is or how I met them (unless they remind me).  :blush:

 

However, I also sometimes go up to guys who work with my DH & chat up a storm -- knowing full well they have NO IDEA who I am.  :001_tt2:   Sometimes, I introduce myself. Sometimes, I don't. 

[Annie G]

In my case....I'm the one who comes up to you and calls you by name. Most of my life, I've been excellent with names and faces....if I met you somewhere and got your name, I'd remember it. If you told me about your dog or your job, I generally can mentally pull up that file and ask about it.

 

I know. Don't hate me.

 

Part of it was having a business at a young age--I had to know and remember people because that got me photography clients.

 

Alas...chemotherapy seems to have destroyed the name place in my brain. (I refuse to admit it might be age.) I can remember your name, but it might take an hour or two. Very frustrating.

 

Oh,  I wish I was good with names and faces like you are!  And I hope that the effects of chemo will subside and your 'name place' will return.  There's hope- both my mom and mother in law had chemo and both recovered from their 'chemo brain'.  

[DesertBlossom]

I usually remember faces and where I know them from, but I am absolutely terrible with names.. But I often hesitate go up and talk to people because a) I'm an introvert and b) often people don't recognize ME. It makes rather me self-conscious actually. I can't tell you how many times I've given someone a "hey, I know you from somewhere smile" only for them to not to register it at all.  And I haven't changed all that much over the years. I don't get it. For that reason, I usually duck away and pretend I didn't see the person instead of saying hi.

 

I also suspect I have a rather generic face because sometimes people will say they know me when I'm fairly certain they don't and I just look like someone else they know.

[PinkTulip]

On the flip side of this, I am constantly saying hi or waving to someone who kind of looks like the person I think it is, but is not in fact the person I think it is. It's so embarrassing to get the confused half-wave with an odd look from a complete stranger.

[Happy]

Oh,  I wish I was good with names and faces like you are!  And I hope that the effects of chemo will subside and your 'name place' will return.  There's hope- both my mom and mother in law had chemo and both recovered from their 'chemo brain'.  

Thank you so much! Hugs to your mom and mom in law.

 

I'm four years out from chemo and my chemo brain is mostly gone. I can remember addresses and strings of numbers for a while these days when I couldn't just two years ago....but names, they are still an issue. Actually the name place is there in my brain--I think the pathway to and from was carpet bombed. If I give myself time and don't stress over it, my brain gets there by going the long way around.

 

Our brains are so interesting....

[Tita Gidge]

Like RootAnn, I am horrible with names and faces. I keep a cheat sheet in my car so that when I show up to the kids' events I can brush up on who's going to be there, who their kids are, and anything else I "should" know about them after spending years attending the same kiddie events.  And my phone looks like hers, too, with descriptions instead of names.

 

But I'm posting to say:

 

1. That I live in a small town.  I have a number of children spread across many extracurricular activities.  We're regulars at a few local places and often see workers out about town (I have a hard time placing people when they're not in the context I 'know' them.)  So when people say hello or seem friendly, I just roll with it. And,

 

2. For many years I worked in a very high-profile and public position where people knew my face.  They were always friendly when I was out about town. I never knew if they knew me from work, or from the kids' things, so I just assumed everyone was someone I knew from kids' things and that I'd see them again. Soon. LOL

 

But once I was at the airport and saw a really familiar face.  I didn't know where I knew her from, just that I did. I smiled and said hi. I had no plans to visit and chat because - I don't do that - but she looked at me like I was about to abduct her. She grabbed her kids closer to her and just stared at me.  Uhhhh, m'kay??  Rude!

 

Hours later I realized that she's a blogger. I "knew" her from having read her (homeschool!) blog for months. No wonder she was freaked out!!  (But still, I couldn't have been the first to identify her in public?? Maybe I was. LOL)

[Suzanne in ABQ]

About 9 years ago, I met a woman at an annual fundraising event for a local non-profit.  We struck up a conversation, and both commented that the other looked familiar, but it was driving us both crazy that neither of us could place the other.  After chatting for awhile, the organization's scrapbook was passed around, and we started looking at it together.  When we got toward the end, we turned the page and found a picture of the two of us, posing together at the previous year's event!  Well, Duh!  We met here! :)   We've made it a point to get our picture taken together at every event since.  It's tradition!  (Oh, and we're both now on the board of the organization).  :)

[Annie G]

 

Brains ARE weird!

 

They sure are. I have no trouble remembering my 13 digit library card number or the address-including zip code- where I lived in 1st grade (I'm 55 now! That was a long time ago!). But I can't remember if a man I met recently has facial hair or wears glasses. 

[ocelotmom]

On the flip side of this, I am constantly saying hi or waving to someone who kind of looks like the person I think it is, but is not in fact the person I think it is. It's so embarrassing to get the confused half-wave with an odd look from a complete stranger.

 

It's also great fun when someone waves at you, so you do the confused half-wave...and then realize they were waving at someone behind you.

[Ann.without.an.e]

Ok so I am on the opposite of this.  If you check me out at the grocery a few times then I will probably recognize you, remember your name from your name tag, and be fully aware of how I "know" you if I bump into you in a different setting.  Its awful  Seriously...like a curse sometimes.  I feel super familiar with people who have no idea who I am, haha.

[Ann.without.an.e]

This happened to me at an event this weekend outside the porta potties. The lady shook my hand and asked to be reminded of my name again. I just told her, made polite conversation for thirty seconds and moved on. I didn't have the heart to break the news to her.

And all I can think is "who shakes hands outside of porta potties?" 😂 I'm so messed up sometimes.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Attolia

[Stacia]

I'm pretty good at remembering faces, but pretty bad at remembering names.

 

So, I learned a long time ago, just to apologize early in the conversation, say I'm terrible at names, & ask for the person's name again. Many times, the person actually seems relieved because they hadn't remembered my name either (or if they do, they don't remember how to pronounce it). I usually try to tell people when I meet them that if I see them again, I'm likely to ask their name for many times before I'll remember it. I think it actually makes people relax a bit because they don't feel awkward or weird if they've forgotten my name.

 

In the meantime, I've tried very hard over the last few years to really concentrate & find some mind-association to remember people's names when I meet them. It really does work. I'm definitely better at it now than I used to be.

 

I will admit that there have been some times that I've probably snubbed someone accidentally because they were waving to me & I thought they must be waving at someone past me (only to realize a few minutes later that there was nobody behind me). Oops.

[Tsuga]

In my case....I'm the one who comes up to you and calls you by name. Most of my life, I've been excellent with names and faces....if I met you somewhere and got your name, I'd remember it. If you told me about your dog or your job, I generally can mentally pull up that file and ask about it.

 

I know. Don't hate me.

 

Part of it was having a business at a young age--I had to know and remember people because that got me photography clients.

 

Alas...chemotherapy seems to have destroyed the name place in my brain. (I refuse to admit it might be age.) I can remember your name, but it might take an hour or two. Very frustrating.

Oh, that's too bad that you've lost part of that gift. Because I love people who say, "Tsuga! It's me, Joyce from the book club!" I could just hug them. I try to do that for others. But generally I am more like, "You! you with the hair! It's me, Tsuga! I know you!"

[flyingaway]

I'm probably the one you don't remember who's talking to you. I remember faces and where we met. Usually recall names, too. My hubs is the same way. We used to get kind of hurt when people didn't remember us, too. We've gotten over that, but I still am going to be a bit peeved if you are introducing yourself to me for what I know is the third time, a thing which has happened to me more than once.

[Onceuponatime]

In the past, I looked very similar to another short homeschooling mom with straight brown hair. People have come up to me started talking to me as if I was her and I gently remind them I'm not, most of the time. Sometimes they just won't let me get a word in, so I stand there and nod. When her children were little, they would occasionally come up beside me and hold my hand or wrap their arms around my leg.

[Night Elf]

I ran into someone I knew. She definitely looked familiar. She was working at the grooming salon at Petco so she was talking directly to me. Because I couldn't remember where I knew her from, I just pretended I didn't know her at all. She never said a word to me so maybe she didn't remember me either. On the way home, I finally realized I had worked with her at a daycare 6 years ago. Even though it was awkward that neither of us said anything, I was going to say something the next time I saw her. Well, I've never seen here there again, so there goes that!

[Junie]

I am pretty good with recognizing faces, but I am horrible at remembering names.

 

During my first semester in college, I met a young man named Kevin* in one of my classes.  I told him that I would be able to remember his name because it's the same as my brother's -- and I only have one brother.

 

Several days later, we saw each other in the cafeteria.  He said, "Hi Junie."  I looked at him, recognized him from class, but could not remember his name.  I told him not to tell me his name yet because I was trying to remember it.  I said, "Your name is... the same as my brother's!  And I can't remember my brother's name."   :huh:  :leaving:  :lol: 

 

He looked at me and said, "Junie, Your brother's name is Kevin."  It was the beginning of an interesting friendship.

 

 

*Names have been changed 

[Ann.without.an.e]

I am pretty good with recognizing faces, but I am horrible at remembering names.

 

During my first semester in college, I met a young man named Kevin* in one of my classes. I told him that I would be able to remember his name because it's the same as my brother's -- and I only have one brother.

 

Several days later, we saw each other in the cafeteria. He said, "Hi Junie." I looked at him, recognized him from class, but could not remember his name. I told him not to tell me his name yet because I was trying to remember it. I said, "Your name is... the same as my brother's! And I can't remember my brother's name." :huh: :leaving: :lol:

 

He looked at me and said, "Junie, Your brother's name is Kevin." It was the beginning of an interesting friendship.

 

 

*Names have been changed

Haha

😂😂😂

Edited April 28, 2016 by Attolia

[texasmama]

And all I can think is "who shakes hands outside of porta potties?" 😂 I'm so messed up sometimes.

Fortunately, neither of us had gone in them yet.   :laugh:   But yes, I found the whole thing weird.  Mostly, I can roll with situations, though, and she seemed like a genuinely nice person.  

 

No harm. No foul.   :lol:

[Happy]

Oh, that's too bad that you've lost part of that gift. Because I love people who say, "Tsuga! It's me, Joyce from the book club!" I could just hug them. I try to do that for others. But generally I am more like, "You! you with the hair! It's me, Tsuga! I know you!"

Hey, I'm alive! That's a good thing! (I just passed the mark of living longer than my mom did after her diagnosis....yay for updated bre*st cancer treatments.)

 

I still recognize faces so I'd greet you with a smile. :) I just wouldn't call you by name...

Edited April 28, 2016 by Happy

[Amber in SJ]

I have a doppelgänger at church;  same height, same curly hair, same body type.  Children in particular are constantly mistaking me for her.  They ask me questions, take my hand and insist I am her.  It is interesting.   At larger church functions, I have had strangers come up to me and just start talking as if they are picking up a previous conversation.  I am terrible with faces & names, so sometimes I just smile & nod until something is said that makes me realize they think they are talking to her.  It is difficult to extricate myself at that point.

 

Amber in SJ

[Kerileanne99]

Oh wow!

The other day I was outside with the baby in our yard. We live right next to a large Uni campus. A young, very fit man, maybe 20 or so was out running with his dog, without his shirt. He ran right up to our yard waving, very friendly and loudly saying how great it was to run into me!

He was chatting away about how big the baby was getting, details from my life, and asking where my daughter was😳

I had no clue. My neighbor was grinning and laughing from across the street.

 

Turns out it was one of my husband's students from a YEAR ago when he showed pictures in class of his brand new baby son to explain why he missed class:)

[Tsuga]

I am pretty good with recognizing faces, but I am horrible at remembering names.

 

During my first semester in college, I met a young man named Kevin* in one of my classes. I told him that I would be able to remember his name because it's the same as my brother's -- and I only have one brother.

 

Several days later, we saw each other in the cafeteria. He said, "Hi Junie." I looked at him, recognized him from class, but could not remember his name. I told him not to tell me his name yet because I was trying to remember it. I said, "Your name is... the same as my brother's! And I can't remember my brother's name." :huh: :leaving: :lol:

 

He looked at me and said, "Junie, Your brother's name is Kevin." It was the beginning of an interesting friendship.

 

 

*Names have been changed

He must have been pretty cute!

[Junie]

He must have been pretty cute!

 

I guess so?  Years later he married my roommate! :)

[Guest]

I was trying to remember someone's name the other day, and never did. I remember her dad's business, and that they'd sold their Palomino horse to a girl who married a guy whose sister used to dance with dd and whose mil sent me a really nasty letter a few years ago, about a scholarship dd won and her dd didn't (15 years later) and that they have three kids and now she's a surgeon, and she used to have a really good back handspring, back tuck in gymnastics, and that the horse (Cuzzin Zan) didn't like to take his left lead, but was Badger Peppy San breeding! And I still don't know the original girl's name. I'm sure the horse is long gone.

 

Someone asked me the other day for a recommendation for someone who would know where to buy golden pheasants and I could tell her the lady's kids' names and that she was married to a guy named Jerry and her girls used to ride a molly mule named Jenny, but the mule didn't like the gate in trail classes, but collected pretty well for a mule, and that the lady worked at the insurance office. I wonder if they ever tracked her down.

 

Brains ARE weird!

LOL! Okay, this is EXACTLY how I remember things! I remember all the trivia that helps me not at all!

 

As for names, I remember the names themselves. I just have a very hard time remembering what the face looks like. So, perhaps I went to a party; I remember I met this lady Mary Beth and her husband is Dave and he works for Northrup. They live in Sykesville and have an Australian Shepherd named Bart. Their kids are Brittany and Cameron; Cameron goes to Towson and studies food science, which Dave thinks is a ridiculous major; Brittany is finishing high school but doesn't know where she want to go to college because she wants to go where her boyfriend goes. Also, they drive a Jetta.

 

But if I run into Mary Beth at the library next week, I won't realize it's her until she says something about the party or the mutual friend or mentions Cameron's food science exams.