It always disturbs me when...

[enismirdal]

...random people who I'm sure I've never met in my life walk up to me and say, "Hi, how are you?" My brain goes frantic: What? Who? Why is this person talking to me? Am I supposed to recognise them? In the end, I come out with something polite and non-committal, and we part with me usually non the wiser as to who on earth it was.

Just happened to me in Main Court. Older lady seemed to think she knew me. I have no recollection of ever having seen her before.

*hides*

Comments

[chess]

I'm used to it; normally they *do* know me. Tis always a bit awkward trying to manouever them into saying who the heck they are without admitting your ignorance (and probably hurting them deeply), though.

[senji.livejournal.com]

Large numbers of them seem to know my father, or have known my grandfather... :-)

[mair_in_grenderich]

"I'm really sorry, I know your face, but I can't place it..." ?

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

It happens to me a lot. It's a combination of having a terrible (and I mean TERRIBLE) memory for names, and a bad memory for faces, along with doing quite a bit of teaching, seminars and the odd lecture and conference or two. I tend to talk to people a lot (being, well, er, loud and all), so I can't be expected to remember them all, can I?

Oh. I'm supposed to.

Whoops.

[girlofthemirror.livejournal.com]

At home there are so many people who seem to know my family... I get called Ann (my mum's name) and Fiona (her sister's) all the time! That would be on the rare occasions that I am not referred to as Mark's niece...

Unfortunately,

[ex-fimbreth.livejournal.com]

I have one of those faces that reminds everyone I meet of someone else - you know, the "...oh, I can't believe it, you look EXACTLY like so-and-so..." and proceeds to converse with me as if I *am* that person. >:-X

[edith-the-hutt.livejournal.com]

The worst time that can happen is at a family event like a wedding. Then you're almost certainly supposed to know them. Now that's embarrasing.