Now, before I begin my little story of peril and awkwardness, there's something you need to know about me.
I suck with names and faces.
As in, I have zero retention until I've talked to you a few times, during which your name was either plastered to your chest or you repeated your name a half dozen times.
It doesn't mean I don't care. Truly. It's just what happens when one's mom smokes pot while pregnant.
Let's all blame Maxine. And the 70's.
One mother in Joseph's little crew of friends was introduced as Barry's mom. (I'm changing the names here to protect, well, no one, but since I don't know her well, I thought I should.) I know her given name was mentioned at least once, but at the time I had no idea the following would happen:
1. That Joseph would be friends with Barry.
2. That Joseph would be on Barry's tee ball team.
3. That her husband would coach the team.
4. That we would chit chat about chickens and ribs and canning.
5. That Barry would come to Joseph's birthday party.
6. That I'd really like her.
In the last eight months, she's called me on my phone, we've chatted at school events and tee ball games, and, most recently, decided to have the kids go to her house for daycare over the summer.
And in all the time that I've known her, she's called with the greeting, "Hi! It's Barry's mom."
And because of this...
Yesterday, as I tried to figure out who to write the kids' first week of summer daycare check to, I realized I didn't know her name.
And I had no idea how I was going to ask.
I thought about calling or texting her and asking her to spell it.
But what if she replied, "J-a-n"?
Would I then say, "Oh! I thought there was a silent n"?
I've used this method before to disastrous results. Such as the time I added, "I meant your last name." And the reply was silence followed by, "S-m-i-t-h."
I fretted and squirmed with this situation. I thought about calling the school and asking the secretary. I thought about looking up her daycare license by address, because that I do know. I thought about biting the bullet and asking a mutual friend, but I was too beet red with embarrassment.
And then, like an angel chorus from on high, she sent me an email.
With her name in the signature.
And now, I'll never forget her name or how it's spelled.
Which means out of Joseph's six good friends, I only have four more names to figure out.
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22 hours ago
6 comments:
HAHAHAHA. Goodness I love you.
Oh, an email with a signature! So glad a solution presented itself which was not, "Hey, um... Barry's Mom? What's your real name?"
Oh, this makes me feel so much better! There is a mom whose kids are on the same teams with me and have been since kindergarten (that would be about 5 years!). I just learned her name last week... and she has the same name as my sister. Now I'll never forget!
There is another mom whose husband coached my kids in soccer, they go to the same school, and I run into them all the time. I don't know her name... I've asked a number of people who are in the same situation. NO ONE knows her name!
I'm terrible with it too. It makes me feel like I must be a bad listener or something but I'm really listening it's just that my brain can only hold so much.
I have the same problem, I can blame Marion, because she's just crazy, maybe it was something else about the 70's.
I however ALWAYS address myself as Eileen, Josh's mom.
The reason I use my name is because I wad always, Bobby's Daughter, Sean's sister, Dan's (girl, girlfriend etc)
At least at work, I am Eileen (unless a customer gets my name wrong, then they USUALLY call me Amy, I'm a fast talker, being born and bred in Boston, and after 13 years I just don't care, unless they LOVE me, then I correct them LOL)
love it!!! don't worry, i had to look up your name too. good thing I had the team roster :) and i still call chad's dad papa because i have no idea his name.
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