Forgetful Lucy!

Today, Meer, Parminder, and me were speaking about situations when you just can't remember the name of an approaching acquaintance - a situation made especially embarsassing and 'jamming' if this person remembers your name very well, and actually is approaching you yelling your name ... 

The probability of such a thing happening is huge for people who spend time in sizeable communities - residential premises, runners clubs ... etc. etc.

The IIT campus was one such place where there were numerous occasions when some bachcha would come calling, "Topiiii! Hi!" ... and I just couldn't remember his name for nuts! Similar things happened with me at the Pan IIT at IITM ... but I was better prepared with my responses.

For instance ... if it was a junior I used to know very well, I would just hug him tight saying, "Bloody Hell! You, of all the people!!" ... and then prolong the conversation for a few seconds till I exchanged cards with him. Then, it was easy!

On other occasions, I resorted to the ask-them-for-the-spelling trick, where I pretended to add his phone number in my device, and while doing so, ask him for the correct spelling, "Hey! How exactly do you spell your name ... "

The worry is ... what if the name was actually very, very simple to spell - like, Vijay?! To avoid looking like a fool who's asking someone for the correct spelling of a two-syllabled-word like 'Vijay' ... or so ... I would resort to the ask-them-for-their-complete-name trick, "Oye! I never knew your complete name ... what is it?"

Often, I was not in a mood to pretend and act-out, so I would just say, "Hell! I know this smart face! But maaf karna, I can't put a name to it!!" This definitely is the best thing to do, I opine, since it is frank, honest and innocent. Also, easy.

Impromptu communication is, for me, an art - and it takes some practice to become graceful at this. Thankfully, I don't suck at it!

I don't disregard self-help books (Gita is a self-help book too), but I don't indulge myself within self-help books a lot. However, I occasionaly jump into this nice book, "How to Talk to Anyone" ... and try to practice some tips sometimes. Know what?! They work!

Like, when this Airtel lady solved my looooong-standing connection problem, I followed some tips from the book: asked her for her manager's name, compiled a hand-written appreciation letter, attached my biz. card to it, addressed it to the manager, but handed it to the lady requesting her to pass it on to her boss. Of course, I did tell her what it was. 

The next day, I received an overly-enthusiastic call from the lady thanking me no-ends. Some two months later, I thought I would connect with her again for another trivial problem, and when I did call her, she greeted me, "Mr. Sorabh! How are you, Sir?!" While my troubles were sorted out within minutes, I was amused that she had actually stored my number in her phone-book! That letter must have done something really good to her.

I now know what Evan Almighty meant by "act of random kindness" ... and how wonderful it can be.

A Czech man went for an eye test, and was told to read the bottom line of the eye chart which read, "HREDCKY".

"Can you read this clearly?" asked the optician.

"Read it?" said the Czech man, "I know the guy!"