I’m Sorry but I Forgot Your Name

As we come to the close of 2017 I would like to admit to a problem that I really don’t have an easy solution for.

I simply can’t match faces with names and while it’s nothing new it seems to be getting worse which you can blame on age but I think that’s more a simple answer then necessarily the correct one.

A big part of this is I come in contact with a lot of people, a good majority through sports and many others from the variety of affiliations I have in and out of Townsquare Media.  It is really uncomfortable at times to be approached by someone who starts a conversation when you have no clue who they are or where you know them from.

If I’m lucky something is said which finally registers but it seems more often than not I’m forced to quickly end the discussion and get away before I’m exposed.  What’s starting to become apparent is people likely confuse my brevity with rudeness and I’m bothered by that.

This has been an issue which my wife takes great exception with because there are cases in which I cannot introduce her because I don’t know the other person’s name.  She believes that common courtesy would be for me to admit that I have forgotten the name and make a simple apology, “I’m sorry but what was your name again.”  She’s right. And wrong.

That works fine when it’s someone you might have met once but what if it is a person that you really should remember, maybe someone who is even important.  They could take real exception to the fact you could not even remember their name, an insult that might have negative connotations.

I will admit to being on the other end and walking away feeling insignificant when a person did not remember me or my name.

Bottom line here.  If we’ve had an encounter in which I came off as somewhat rude it was likely due to my being uncomfortable because I just could not place your name with your face and frankly I just haven’t yet figured out how to own up to this.  I’ll try better in 2018.