Landscapes, scissors, knives and glue
She was five feet tall or less (no, definitely less) and maybe 100 pounds with a stone in her pocket. Dirty brown hair curls that look like they’re by Jheri, but are too ugly to be anything but real. Clearly middle-aged, but draped in a brightly colored baby blue jumpsuit. Finished off with a thick smear of pale concealer and rouge that would even the most liberal clown chuckle, and then blush.
And somehow I recognized her. But it was at least a few hours before I remembered that she was my sixth grade teacher.
Even five years ago, I couldn't imagine forgetting people. My memory hadn't yet begun to... exclude, and I could still seemingly remember everything: Names. Dates. Video game codes. Physics formulas. Lines from books or movies. When to wear socks and when to not wear socks.
Unfortunately, I'm losing that talent. I forget names, but mostly faces. I'm sure it's because I'm a grown up and I'm meeting more people and have more going on in my life than ever before. Or that's a lie, and I've never been good with faces. (Either way, though, I could at least remember stories or details I'd learned about the persons.)
What makes it shocking is that I really, really didn't like my sixth grade teacher. She was mean and made that entire school year unpleasant. She was the type of teacher that you wonder how they could ever have gone into teaching since they clearly have a serious disdain for people in general, and children in particular.
Yet, I didn’t recognize her. Didn’t recognize the woman responsible for the first times I stressed myself out enough to have a sick stomach. Didn’t recognize the first person who I ever had to deal with who does that passive-aggressive thing where they ask you a leading question in a way that implies guilt, even if you didn’t do anything.
Of course, thinking about it, maybe forgetting details isn’t so bad. I had also forgotten a lot of these stories. Sort of.
And somehow I recognized her. But it was at least a few hours before I remembered that she was my sixth grade teacher.
Even five years ago, I couldn't imagine forgetting people. My memory hadn't yet begun to... exclude, and I could still seemingly remember everything: Names. Dates. Video game codes. Physics formulas. Lines from books or movies. When to wear socks and when to not wear socks.
Unfortunately, I'm losing that talent. I forget names, but mostly faces. I'm sure it's because I'm a grown up and I'm meeting more people and have more going on in my life than ever before. Or that's a lie, and I've never been good with faces. (Either way, though, I could at least remember stories or details I'd learned about the persons.)
What makes it shocking is that I really, really didn't like my sixth grade teacher. She was mean and made that entire school year unpleasant. She was the type of teacher that you wonder how they could ever have gone into teaching since they clearly have a serious disdain for people in general, and children in particular.
Yet, I didn’t recognize her. Didn’t recognize the woman responsible for the first times I stressed myself out enough to have a sick stomach. Didn’t recognize the first person who I ever had to deal with who does that passive-aggressive thing where they ask you a leading question in a way that implies guilt, even if you didn’t do anything.
Of course, thinking about it, maybe forgetting details isn’t so bad. I had also forgotten a lot of these stories. Sort of.
Labels: Mark
posted by M S Martinez at 7/30/2009 09:09:00 AM
1 Comments:
D L Wright likes this post.
I had a similar problem when I worked retail. I saw so many faces during the day that I started to lose track of people I knew and people I had helped in the store. Worst of all: I didn't recognize one of my good friends while working a shift. My brain just assumed everybody was some random customer.
Funny story: a customer came into the store and I felt like I knew her but I couldn't quite place where. It was driving me crazy. Suddenly, a synapse fired in my head: was she a porn star? Two months later I finally figured out that I had seen her in a play in which she played a porn star, but it certainly made for an awkward interaction at the time.
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