Summary: An early work. An odd musing about how I forget names and the fear of forgetting people entirely. I think this was in freshman year in college or sometime before then where I took notice of how easy I forgot names. I added more details upon re-writing it. The essence is still cheesy, but that is the essence of early works. | Word Count: 565
“Hello! Nice to see you. Remember I am [ ] ” said the man, “What’s your name again?”
I told him my name. At least I think I did. The words spilled out from my throat, yet I was not paying enough attention to know if it was the correct ones. I tried to keep his name in my memory, but it was thus so that the synaptic bridge from my working memory to my long-term storage memory was always broken.
“Nice. I am taking the same class in American History with [ ]. Do you know her?” he asked and pointed over to a building where the class took place.
“Oh! Yeah. I know her. She is working on this cool project for our English class.” I said, without mentioning that I forgot her name up until now despite being in the same project team.
To be fair our team has not met yet and she was one of the two who has not sent any correspondence on the project. I would have to look up her name on the online class roster.
We continued to talk until a few minutes passed and our conversation was nearing a wrap up.
“Sure. I am free to hang on Saturday.” I told him after he asked to hang out.
“Awesome! I will text you when I get off work. See ya!” he waved.
“Wait!” I interrupted his departure.
“He looked a little confused, but he stopped.
“I – I am quite forgetful, so forgive me. It seems I have already forgotten your name since you just said it, and before that we first met.”
He smiled and laughed and said his name again.
I tried repeating it in my brain several times, then out loud three times. Later, I would have to write it down too.
“I almost didn’t ask because I knew the same thing would happen since I am so scatterbrain.” I remarked.
“No worries dude. Ask as many times as you need.” he said and waved away my embarrassment.
“Thanks. Hopefully I will remember your face longer than your name. But I also tend to forget faces too.”
“What about my voice or my size?” he asked, trying to help me narrow down some other criteria.
“No, no. That will not do. I am not good with sound. I will forget. And I sometimes don’t notice people’s shapes unless they are really tall or really short.”
“What about just focusing on the memory? Stolen from time itself, an experience is harder to take away. than one or two details.”
“I do remember some things better than others. But I forget memories after a long time. Sadly.” I held my head down.
He didn’t seem all that bothered by my answer because when I held my head back up, his was held high.
“The experience still happened. I met you. You meet me. Even if there is no record at all with anyone for that matter. Just happening is all it needs to be.” he said confidently.
“That is pretty lonely and unfair to those who actually remember.”
“Perhaps. But that’s why the other has an imperative to jog the memory of the forgotten. If you forget, I’ll remind you.”
He gave a pat to my shoulder and walked off. It was true. He would be harder to forget. Not impossible, but it is something I worry less about now.
Off Beat Off Kilter 