Thats me
I have a kind of memory that I am definitely not proud of. I won't remember, especially while leaving the house, where I kept my cellphone, house key, car key etc but I would remember every detail of a brain-dead conversation I had with some stranger a decade ago. Even details like the stranger's date of birth, nickname etc would be tattooed in my mind. Ditto for movies' details. I just have to spot a scene in a movie in some channel while flipping and all the redundant details of the movie are registered in my mind inadvertently.
Long ago, I met a guy who happened to be waiting for the same bus as I was. We smiled at each other and started some totally uninteresting conversation. Infact he was talking more. One of his friends passed by and wished him "Happy Birthday". It was December 1st, World AIDS Day. Years later, one of my acquaintances was engaged to this guy. When I met him, I was surprised and asked the couple if they had any special plans for his Birthday, which was a few weeks since then. I was not irritated that he didn't recognize me but he actually thought I was one of those girls that was so floored after just one interaction with him that I even remembered his Birthday. Ewww!
That was just one incident. So many times I have spelt out so many details of a person that some were even embarassed and some were flattered and some were confused and some, found it funny. They probably thought I was a weirdo. So I consciously decided to suppress all the details and hold my tongue. I succeed sometimes.
Recently, when I was at a temple, a woman patted me from behind and started yelling "Hi, remember me?" I nodded. She wasn't convinced that I remembered her and started saying "We met at the party. You had brought your baby. We watched tennis and both of us suported the same guy". I continued nodding. I didn't want to say "Yes XYZ, I remember you. You were talking with someone loudly in your cellphone and said you were in a bad mood and didn't want to attend that party. But then you actually had fun, you told me later. BTW, did you find that black ear-ring which had fallen down somewhere?". I just continued to nod and when she asked "Sorry, I forgot your name". I reminded her and asked her the same question. I am sure she felt I was just a normal person and I felt good even after lying.:-)
posted by D LordLabak @ 10:44 AM
26 Comments:
mean..;)
I know, For some, numerical data sticks automatically while others cant remember their own SSN! But the same people with amazing retentivity suck when it comes to remembering where they kept their glasses - a trick recommended is to picturise them violently shattering to pieces on the place they were being kept.
I doubt if there are more than handful of people who keep a running list of hearers to whom they've told a funny story - my standard strategy when a story comes along for the 2,413th time is to wonder and look lost, and let the narrator carry on yet again so as not to dampen him. And the best way to test the waters while narrating is to start with "Havent I told this before..."
Life is better of, forgotten.
Did you guys exchange numbers. Probably that person might call you regarding some wonderful online business.. I mean "AMWAY"/"QUICKSTAR". Beware!!!
Its normal to forget where we put the keys or cell phone. One good reason for me to have a wife.
Hehe, funny. You should've asked her if she found her black ear ring. Of the many things I lose, I regret the most when I lose one ear-ring. The other one keeps swearing at me!:(
Rajesh, did you mean, 'only good reason' or 'one of the good reasons'?
talkin about bww/quickstar, I was told about this "business opportunity" for the nth time. and just today I asked my "sponsor" to goan F himself! Boy, that felt good.
Wonderful blog you've got here. I too have this gift for remembering inconsequential trivia.
I, you are a square shooter! I wish I could say 'that' to a couple who have called at least hundred thousand times, convincing me to sign up for their so-called-lucrative-deal. It's SO irritating.
Ajay, no, you are mean...;-)
True TTM. Once people cross 45, they are guaranteed to repeat things many times. When I find myself repeating, I wonder how I'd be post 45.:-)
There you go, I.
Rajesh, I bet you would't want your wife to see this comment. Aww! those AMWAY guys!
Casement, tell me about it. For some reason, I still preserve those single ones still. Maybe I should donate it to some rockstar.
D the D, the grass is always greener on the other side.
Anon, Thank you and join the gang (of wierdos).;-)
so unga kitte konjum careful la irukanum nu solringala? :-)
their next line mite prob be 'we have an excellent opportunity to make some extra money'
QUIXSTAR and the ppl related suck big time!!
I can rememebr even the minute details of few people I had met years back. Sometimes when I would ask them about it, they would be surprised and would say "Boy, u have an amazing memory"! Little do they know that I tend to forget whether I had already added salt to sambar/rasam :)
I can remember phonenos but suck big time remembering bdays.
Speaking of Amways, though the product is good, the direct marketing strategy sucks. I should not be saying this as I used to work for Dell whose claim till date is they do Direct Marketing :)
Casement/Deepa,
I deliberately said "One reason" as my wife has the knack of tracing my trails.
Deepa, I call upon you to moderate your comments and stuff. How'd a BWW agent feel about being told he's a pain in the ass? Oh well, he'd still keep hounding you. Er.. never mind, forget whatever I said.
Me too!! Recently, I was chatting with an old friend and asusual remembered his anniversary and wished him. He told me that his wife was upset b'cos he forgot their anniversary and was asking me, "So, when is my Anniversary? 4th or 7th?"!!
Once I was with friend 'B' when we saw 'S' coming by. I mentioned to B that it was "S's" b'day that day and even before I said 'hi' to 'S', 'B' said, 'Happy birthday Akka' and stole all my thunder! Boo hoo!! :(
deepa,
i was referring to normal 15-25 y/o youngsters, not 45+ oldies!!
In fact, oldies arent so repetitive, you actually have to pester them sometimes 'Tell us about the time when Gandhi...'. Maybe the modern world gives them the impression that they dont belong.
Yeah its true! I still remember (after 50 yrs)the colour of the dress my classmate (studying 1st standard)wore for the Annual Day Function.
Latha,
Was that your school uniform.
Rajesh, I doubt if uniforms were pervalent 50 years ago.:-)
Ofcourse they were. Remember, we were ruled by the British not Americans.
Uniforms were not prevailing those days adhavadhu "andha kaalathula.."
Hee hee. Naanum konjam indha madhiridhaan. Remember stuff about people, forget where my keys are.
When I met a friend in '98 after 10 years, thought I'd show off. So I casually asked him "When's your b'day in Nov?" Thought he'd be ore impressed. He replied "Nov 7. Your's is Sept 10, right?" :-)
yeah - atleast you remember something - i forget everything
but from where did quixtar and amway people come in this, thats altogether a different funny story :)
This episode is like one of the sienfeld episodes.
You should start writing sitcoms.
We all could use a break from the excessive drama on TV.
This episode is like one of the sienfeld episodes.
You should start writing sitcoms.
We all could use a break from the excessive drama on TV.
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