It happened again on our flight home from Orlando this week. I sat in the airport with a mother from our school. I noticed her and she didn't notice me, but I knew our kids were in the same class at school this year and that we had spent a whole football season together the year before last. Even the Big Guy recognized her and he'd be hard pressed to recognize our next door neighbor on the street!
We boarded the plane and, amazingly, she was seated directly in front of me. I smile at her and say hello. No reaction.
We ride one seat apart for 2 1/2 hours, she gets up to use the bathroom. I smile again and now feel a little creepy. No reaction.
We are waiting for the plane to taxi to the terminal and she turns around and says to my kids, "You were so good! I never heard a peep! How old are you guys, do you live in Pittsburgh?"
I answer "Yes, we live in Pittsburgh." She looks at me and says "Me too, where do you live? I'm (insert name)."
This is always where I get stuck. Do I tell her we know each other? Do I pretend we are just meeting for the first time? Do I look to see if she is actually speaking to the person behind me or maybe blind???
It's Feedback Friday:
What do you say to a person you are meeting for the first time ... again?
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Morning Jen,
ReplyDeleteYou just relived a great Seinfeld episode "The Secret Code" where Elaine gets introduced to a guy she had met before at a party, but he doesn't remember her...annoys the heck out of her.
Script can be read here...too funny
http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheSecretCode2.htm
enjoy...
Janet xox
http:/theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/
Ha! At least it happened at the end of the flight--could you imagine glaring at the back of her head for the whole flight? I'd be ripping up little pieces of paper and tossing it in her hair ;)
ReplyDeletePeople are so self absorbed. I would have told her...let her look like the idiot...then you could chuckle every time you saw her at events!
I would say: I THOUGHT I recognized you! Yes, I'm so-and-so, I think we've met before....then let it develop gradually from there. Some people are just not good at putting names and faces together, esp. if it's in a whole different context like a plane trip (versus at school). I've had that happen to me at the grocery store and I give them he benefit of a doubt...
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those people that forget people I've previously met. I don't mean anything by it. I just have so much going on that some stuff has to slip out, and usually it is stuff like that. I would have just said, "Actually we've met before. Our kids are on the same football team..." She probably would have apologized and offered some explanation and then tried harder to remember in the future. That's what I do anyway.
ReplyDeleteYes, I always tell. I'm a pretty quiet, observant person so I tend to remember and recognize people easier than most.
ReplyDeleteI usually say something like, "yeah, I think our boys played on the same baseball team last year."
She probably had this nagging feeling of "where do I know her from, where do I know her from......" - that happens to me in the grocery store all the time! In my old age I have learned to look right at someone and say hey - I know you from somewhere right? I'm sorry, having kids zapped all my brain cells....
ReplyDeleteHow about when someone says OH HEY JEN! and you have no idea who they are? And they know your NAME??? I'm so mortified when that happens!
I HATE that, Jen. Seems I don't have a very memorable anything because that type of thing happens to me all the time. I don't pursue it, personally. If I made an impact on them, they would remember me...if they don't it's no big deal. I'm just polite and move along. *shrug* their loss! I'm only the COOLEST chick EVER! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI am great with faces, but horrible with names. I would have probably mentioned that our boys were in the same class.
ReplyDeleteGreat story! Janet, I love Seinfeld.
ReplyDeleteI think it's odd that she gave you no reaction.
I think I would have done just what you did actually....especially with the no reaction before when you smiled, twice.
Leigh
I'm good with faces and terrible with names, it's so embarrassing!
ReplyDeleteThere's a guy I see ALL the time at our local shopping centre and he knows my name. We joke like old friends when we see each other, but I'm stumped as to what his name is and it's been going on so long that it's too awkward to ask! I see him at Uni too but I have NO idea why I know him (Were we class mates? Was I his class tutor? Is it just a random thing??).. So embarrassing!