OK. So we all know that I am really particularly bad at remembering people’s names.
Getting this telescope. Very Very Exciting. And from a new local start up astronomy business, and that is also very very exciting. Kevin talks to the owner a lot in deciding which to get. The man’s name is Kendall. I work and work and work at remembering this, because I know I’ll need to ask a lot of questions myself, and it is much more friendly if you know the guy’s name.
I practice mneumonics. I write it down over and over. I use every memory trick in the book. I have a friend with the same name, and that helps. I eventually, many months, come to a point where I can remember his name in less than a minute of concentration. I can think of his name, and then call. I’m feeling pretty good about this.
Day comes. We go pick up the new telescope. His daughter is there with him, she is introduced, -whoosh- goes here name out of my head. His daughter brought their young cat with them, soft beautiful calico about 6 to 8 months old. Pet and play and generally have a wonderful time. Kevin is also there, so we do manage to leave eventually, and remember to take the telescope.
Run into some problems with assembly. Call -Kendall- (I know his name, see) and ask if he’ll be in on Saturday. Yes, he says, and his daughter will be in the shop, too (daughter is under 10, very young girl). Oh, I say excitedly, and you can bring Patches!
I then start laughing internally. In two, three weeks time, I haven’t thought of this cat. I had to push and pull and trick myself into remembering the person’s name (and couldn’t tell you his daughter’s name) with months of effort. One meeting, three weeks later, and the cat’s name is right there. No recall trouble whatsoever.
Methinks my trouble with people names is that perhaps I really am not paying that much attention to people. Not deliberately, you understand. But .. well … I knew the cat’s name. I like cats….
How very funny and how very like you. I have often thought that perhaps the reason i do not remember names is because, down deep, they really do not matter to me. Not that the person does not matter, or that i do not want to remember names… More that the memory center is not triggered. Obviously that is what is going on with you. When you meet a cat, your memory center automatically opens and stores the name, but people…. well… we do have to keep our priorities in order.
Speaking of cats, were you watching Leno the other night when an animal-bringing guest brought what he called an otter cat? I have never heard of an otter cat, but he said that, though they are uncommon in captivity, they are not uncommon in the wild. Very interesting cat… definitely a cat, but with otter-like face and movements.
Are you enjoying your new toy? Have you had clear skys?
well, there you go. you’ll have to start associated people’s names with cats now.
I did see the otter cat. I saw the serval before it, too. They have servals at CPT and you can ‘adopt’ one. I told Kevin that I really, really want a serval.
If Christina and I could we’d run a cat shelter. That would, of course, require that we A) have a house B) have the money to do it C) find a reasonable group to work with.
We’d end up being ‘those people with 20 cats’, but that’s ok.