# I don't think of myself as a memorable person **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468 "2011-11-10T03:15:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/1 "2011-11-10T03:15:11Z")
Yet, in the three weeks I’ve been back in Denver after a four year absence, a waitress, a restaurant owner (at a different place), a barber, and a cashier at Safeway have all said, “Hi, Frank, haven’t seen you in a while.” I’ve been known to walk right past one of my sisters on the street and not even notice her. I don’t get people who not only recognize me–but remember my name–after so long. I can’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/2 "2011-11-10T12:08:24Z")
I don’t like being “memorable.” I don’t know what I’d do if I lived in a small town where everyone knows your name. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/3 "2011-11-10T14:02:36Z")
Welcome to the board, **Frank**! I think you’ll enjoy it here. (Now what did we do with the goat and the straw, and the squid…?) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/4 "2011-11-10T14:07:08Z")
I was stunned when I walked into a deli I hadn’t been by in five years or so, and the guy at the counter said, “haven’t seen you in awhile–I like your new short hairdo!” How do people \*do \*that?! \*I \*can barely remember what I looked like five years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/5 "2011-11-10T16:00:09Z")
I am a very memorable person. Except the person they remember is not me. “Hey Mike, how have you been?” “I’m not Mike.” “Are you sure? You look just like him.” Just one of those faces, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/6 "2011-11-10T16:06:38Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > [INDENT]“Hey Mike, how have you been?” > > “I’m not Mike.” > > “Are you sure? You look just like him.” Pat and Mike approached each other on the street. Each thought he knew the other. When they met Pat said, ‘I thought it was you, and you thought it was me, and Faith! It was neither of us!’ ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/7 "2011-11-10T16:13:21Z")
Welcome back. I’m pretty good with faces, but terrible with names. I ran into two students yesterday that had been in my classes several semesters ago, immediately recognized them and chatted for a while, but the whole time was saying “I can’t remember this person’s name!” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/8 "2011-11-10T16:53:17Z")
I can’t remember how many times this has happened to me in the past few years. I’ll say hi to a complete stranger, and not only will they say hi back with my name, but ask me how my recent Vineyard vacation was and if I’m still painting. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2011, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/9 "2011-11-11T21:09:23Z")
I went into a restaurant with some colleagues for a celebratory meal, and the owner recognized me even though I hadn’t been in there in 10 years, he said “You still living around here, then?” ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-dont-think-of-myself-as-a-memorable-person/602468/10 "2011-11-13T01:57:47Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > “Hey Mike, how have you been?” > > “I’m not Mike.” > > “Are you sure? You look just like him.” Why, Rappaport, I haven’t seen you in ages!