Remind Me of Your Name?

I feel awful. Horrible. If I’ve done this to you, I offer you my sincerest apologies.

Hello my name isI forget people’s names.

It’s happened a couple of times in the past few weeks. I see a face I recognize, and no name comes to me. Or it comes to me after the person has walked away.

I see a lot of different people when I’m doing tarot readings. Sometimes I will ask someone their name and promptly forget it. Or forget it as soon as they walk away. Sometimes I can hold onto a name a little longer. It seems that unless I am seeing someone or interacting in some way on a regular basis, names don’t stick.

At my job, I used to be the front end customer service. I was in that role for almost 10 years. There were a few customers that I knew by name, because they would come in regularly or because they were also volunteers at the theatre. Once we installed our computerized ticketing system, it became a little easier for me, because I could look at their accounts and associate a visual name with the face. It took me many years to get there, though.

In my spiritual community, I went to Spring Mysteries Festival for several years before I could remember most people’s names, and then it was only because we became friends on Facebook, so I had a visual name to attach to the face.

So if I see you at an event when I am out reading tarot, or anywhere in public, please forgive me if I forget your name. I’m working on being better with my name and face recall. I’m conscious of this now, and that is the first step to making a change. Please be patient with me!

Blessings,

Mary

6 thoughts on “Remind Me of Your Name?”

  1. I totally didn’t expect you to remember my name when I saw you at the Spirit fair. I think you are being way to hard on yourself! You must see so very many people and no one should expect you to remember their name if they aren’t frequently interacting with you <3

  2. omigawsh! Mary, I have had the same difficulty all my life. I think it is because I’ve shied from people I don’t yet know well, and reaction from excessive childhood bullying. As embarrassed as I feel about having to ask anyone her name after the second or third time meeting, I’d like to point out that anyone who would display annoyance at being unrecognized ought to be equally embarrassed. Don’t sweat the small stuff. I now try to reinforce my memory by repeating the name of a newly introduced acquaintance several times.

  3. I am honestly the worst at remembering not only names, but people. In our local paganish community that we hang out in, there are several different people with the same first name — and I can’t recall any of them. I see them once a year at an event where, let’s face it, I’m usually drunk out of my mind. And Ogre will constantly refer to these people that I just have *no idea* who they are.

    It’s very frustrating. Because when I see them, I’m like “OH HEY…you. You, with the hair.” I recognize them in the moment, but can’t recall their names — and later when they’re referred to, I have no clue who is being talked about.

    I don’t know if it’s the numerous concussions I’ve sustained or if I’ve just reached the limit of people I can know in my lifetime and easily remember or what, but I hate it.
    Morag recently posted..Everyday Magic and Old School Witchcraft

  4. We are intensely visual creatures! And it feels so awful to not be able to remember a person’s name.

    The concussions probably don’t help!

  5. Thank you, Danielle! That’s one of the tactics I am using, too – repeat the name to myself, and use it in conversation. I don’t know if it will help with people I meet at casual tarot readings, and I’m still going to make the effort!

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