Your cover up tricks for forgetfulness, face blindness, and er...I forgot

[kirsten]

Arnie and Cint started talking about how they feel the need to hide memory and face blindness problems. I feel the same way. I think we all have our tricks to cover those moments up.

I've mentioned this one before, and I've never used it but if you can't remember someone's name and you have to introduce them to someone, you say

'Sorry...Your name is...?
"Jack."
"Don't be silly, Jack, of course I remembered your first name. I was asking about your surname."

Or

"Sorry...Your name is...?"
"Doctor Smith."
"No, no, no, Dr Smith, I'd never forget your surname. I was asking about your first name."

That one's far better than my own methods, of course. When my brain resets itself after an absence seizure in the middle of a conversation I find the most interesting thing around me and say, "Oh, my god! Look at that amazing white cloud shaped like a banana." or, "That #$%@ing thing looked exactly like a UFO." And if they're still hanging onto the conversation, I interrupt and say, "No, but seriously, do you see that thing floating across that cloud shaped like a banana?" It's not effective unless you make a grand go of it--hand gestures help, as does enthusiasm. The person you were talking to about god knows what races off on your own tangent, and the conversation you've forgotten has been abandoned.

I've noticed that when I'm having problems with face blindness, I rely on context to recognise people. If I last saw a blond woman in Woolworths last week and I see another blond woman in Woolworths this week, I think they're the same person. I can remember who a person is as long as I don't rely on what I see. So if I run into someone and I don't know who they are but they walk up to me and start talking, I pretend I know them while a search for context: I ask vague, open questions like, "What have you been doing in the past week?" Hopefully, after one question I've figured out who they are. Sometimes talking about myself also works because they'll volunteer information. I have absolutely no other ways to cover up face blindness, and this method is successful about 3% of the time.

Most versatile lines I have to cover up screw ups and brain glitches:
I was joking, you idiot.
Of course I know. I just wanted to see if you knew.
Sorry about that. I just had the weirdest thought. (insert weird thought.)
Sorry. That was me daydreaming again.
You know, to be honest I'm bored with this conversation. Can we move on?
I didn't quite understand all of what you said. Explain it to me like I'm a five year old.

 

[masterjen]

I am poor at recognizing faces of people I meet - not only the first time but even if I run into them briefly a couple of more times. They would have to have made some kind of huge impression on me for me to recognize them again after only one or two meetings. I am often amazed how many other people can seem to recognize someone again after only a brief initial meeting. Sometimes I'll blow it and show my confusion when someone greets me like they know me, and I cover it by saying: "Ha, ha I'm just teasing of course I remember you!"
I'm even worse with names of people. I also use the: "what was your name again? No, no I mean your first (last) name" line.
I'll ask nonspecific questions when I run into them, like "How have things been?" or "what have you been up to?" while seeing if they offer a hint that lets me know who they are

 

[Cint]

To help me remember names, I try to categorize them to begin with. For example, a dr. I used to see was Dr. Haney. I had a hard time remembering his name, so I kept envisioning Hanes brand of underwear. I don't have trouble remembering faces, it is names, words, (aphasia), events, that I have trouble remembering.

And when I don't remember events and don't want to tell family or friends, I jsut go along with the story and pretend that I remember what they are talking about. But the one thing I can't get away with is when I'm trying to tell people about something that has happened and I cannot think of the specific word or thing. So I have to explain what it is that I'm trying to say. You know, for a key, I would say, the thing that you use to unlock your door. And people who don't understand look at me like I'm nuts. :twisted:

 

[lindsayschu2]

When I have to introduce someone whose name I can't remember, I say "and this is.. " and turn quickly and start coughing, and listen at the same time as they introduce themselves so that i can hear their name Done that many times . .

 

[valeriedl]

When I run into someone I don't know I've just started saying "I'm sorry what's your name?" Or "How do I know you?" When they go on to tell me I may remember who they are or I may not. If I don't remember I just let them do most of the talking agreeing with what they are saying when they want me to or disagreeing with what they are saying when they want me to. They may ask how someone in my family is doing and I usually know who they are talking about when they do.

I ran into a relative recently at McDonalds and had no clue who she was when she told me. To be honest with you I don't think in general I would know who she was because she was a really distant relative. After she kept trying to explaining who she was I finally said "OH, I know who you are now!"

It took me about 3 years to remember that president Regan had died, and I even watched his funeral on TV. Every time something would come up on tv about him saying he was dead I'd always say "He's dead! When did he die?" I remember now and I always do it as a joke to my husband but he doesn't think it's funny - I do!

My friends like to play jokes with me about things that we 'did'. I don't know if what ever it was it really happened or not. One friend told me there was a time we went streaking through the field behind my house. I don't know if we did or not but it sounds like something that I may have done! I can go on with a whole list of things that I've 'done' but it would take too long....

My husband and I went to a liquor store recently and I told the man at the register that he was the one who carded my 84 year old grandma. He started laughing and I told him that he made her day when he did that and she always talked about it. When my husband asked how I remembered he was the one I told him that I wasn't exactly sure but he was a man that worked in the store and I thought it would make him laugh.

My family gets mad about some of the things I do remember. There was a time that my husband thought he saw a UFO. About a year later his friend came for a visit. He knew that my husband was going to be looking for a new job soon and asked if he had any ideas in mind that he may want to do. I said "Maybe you could go work at Area 51?" My husband didn't think it was funny but his friend and I sure thought it was.

I can't remember words worth crap. I have to try to describe what the thing is that I'm trying to say and the word may only be 'cat'!

 

[N Sperlo]

At work I deal with hundreds of people a day. Many times I can't remember their name until my hands touch a keyboard.

Often times, I forget names. Not a problem. You don't need to feel silly about it. "Hey, bra, I'm brain-farting. What's your name?"

Life goes on.

 

[C0urt]

i dont ask names, I don't tell people my name unless asked
i dont care. if people think you need to know their names, they will tell you. keeps life simple.

truthfully a lot of people look the same to me, but life goes on,

 

[masterjen]

When I have to introduce someone whose name I can't remember, I say "and this is.. " and turn quickly and start coughing, and listen at the same time as they introduce themselves so that i can hear their name Done that many times . .

I forgot about this one - I do this, too

 

[arnie]

When people come into my shop to pick up a bicycle that I have worked on for them, they will often expect that I should remember them and their bike. Sometimes I know I ought to know them so it makes it awkward to ask their name. I can say "which bike was yours?" or "what was the name on the work order?" which seems to work for the most part. When people come in two hours after they left something to be fixed, and I don't recognize them, they will think that's kind of strange. Often I just have to say that I have a bad memory. On the street or around town I tend to smile and wave at a lot of people who might seem to know me and expect me to acknowledge them. Better to be thought overly friendly than really snobby. I think because of my (probably) lifelong face blindness I have tended not to get too close to people. Face blindness can be isolating. Add that to epilepsy and, wheee, a party! Or not!
Life goes onward and upward!

 

[walkerjm3]

I've always been horrible with names. I also went to three different schools growing up so I had three times the amount of people I didn't recognize. Back over the winter I went on a date with a guy whose name I couldn't remember. I happened to run into my friend and her boyfriend at the movie theater. It was an awkward introduction as I just kind of shook his arm and said "hey, these are my friends". I ended up having to text him from a co-workers phone to figure out his name. Everyone at work still teases me about it.