The Name Game [9.6.08]

Observations are always useful, but can prove especially helpful in decoding someone unfamiliar. Social situations that involve numerous first impressions, such as freshman orientations or community picnics, are few and far between. Given their sporadic appearances, the art form of the "meet and greet" has been and will forever remain one of the most challenging of human interactions. In one sitting, one could meet a variety of personalities, each with different quirks and more importantly different names. That being said, one could not possibly ask for someone to remember favorite colors, birthdays, hometowns, or even names. Sadly, not everyone shares this assumption, and others go so far as to expect rote memorization from those they have met throughout the day. I met someone hours ago who expected just that from me. During a picnic I bumped into one of the many freshmen, and we shared introductions. We went our separate ways, and minutes later I was in the middle of mingling with several other strangers. Frankly, I had forgotten her name by the time I met the next freshman. I blame my oblivion on human error, and more often than not, others support and even share my flaw. Apparently, this freshman was filled with angst, and in turn did not sympathize with my glitch. For the next two hours, she proceeded to call me every name but my own. Every time we had a run-in with one another, I felt just a little worse than I did before. However, self-respect showed up late rather than never, and I detracted my guilt. When did human error become an apology? Why did my forgetfulness merit such a harsh penalty? When would she start calling me by my actual name? And why should I care? Like any great conundrum, all my questions did was create more. Why did I react so severely? Is a name just a name, or is it the beginnings of one's identity? How far is too far when it comes to the name game?