We have casual chats with people we see everyday, like the guy standing next to the hot dog stand every time you are there. Or the cleaning lady at the hospital you visit regularly, or the sweet girl at the canteen whose sneeze is like an elephant blowing its trumpet. They all have one thing in common…
—————-
I saw the sky get smaller and smaller as I gasped for breath. Next thing I knew I was rolling on the ground. My hands clenching my stomach. A mixture of grass and mud plastered. I felt my face muscles constrict, my legs thrashing like a man on his death bed…
15 minutes earlier…
I was sitting in the lawn, shading my face with one hand and trying to read something written on a bit of paper with the other. The sunlight was comforting for a while. But only for a while; then it just got plain hot. I shifted to make my back face the sunlight. A reflexive shudder ran down my spine, as if to acknowledge the welcome change in temperature.
My eyes darted around a bit, then settled on the shadow approaching me from behind. I immediately recognized the great hairstyle (bald). A friend’s friend. The bald look suites him, he’s one of few who can pull it off. He settled next to me, his expression, serious.
When he spoke, there was a pleading note in his voice.
“You know that guy who hangs around me a lot after class, the one with the braces still on?”
“Yeah, course, he’s glued to your group 24/7.”
“Yeah, well see, the things is, its his birthday tomorrow….”
“….so?”
“A couple of friends of mine decided to throw him a party of sorts, seeing as how he has no relatives in town and all.”
“I’m listening.”
“Well, the thing I wanted to say is, umm….the thing is…”
My back was getting uncomfortably warm by now. I had trouble staying in one spot for more than 5 seconds. Seeing the expression on my face, he thought I was getting tired of the conversation (which I was, truth be told), so he jumped to the point.
“The thing is we don’t know what to write on the cake.” he blurted.
I stopped fidgeting.
“Come again.”
“I said, we don’t know what to write on his cake!!”
“You want to write a witty comment on his birthday cake?!!”
“His name!! we don’t know his friggin’ name!!!!“
“Wha–?”
It took a while, but then it hit me. At first I thought he was retarded or something, but then it started to make sense. The more it made sense the funnier it got.
Diary Without Pages 
February 13, 2012 at 3:38 pm
hmmm… it happens….
February 13, 2012 at 3:40 pm
It does….
February 13, 2012 at 3:44 pm
but its sad…. in fact very sad.
February 13, 2012 at 3:50 pm
how can it be sad?! Its hilarious!
February 13, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Worse when you have conversations with the people month after month and can’t remember their names…
February 13, 2012 at 9:31 pm
I can only imagine…
“What’s your name again?”
“Seriously!!? I’ve been your personal assistant for 6 months! and you don’t know my name. That’s it, I quit.”
February 13, 2012 at 9:41 pm
Oh, at that point I’d have an annoying nickname for them. And check their paperwork for their real name.
Also, after 6 months, they;d know that about me already and would have to be used to it. Or not last six months…
February 13, 2012 at 10:07 pm
First day at work….
“Sir, nice to finally meet you. My name is John.”
“Welcome to the firm, Ron, we have set up a cubicle for your on the ground floor and don’t even think about arguing with me over your name, we’ve got you in contract, you got that? Shaun?!
“Y- Yes sir!”
February 13, 2012 at 10:13 pm
Honestly, that happens to me a lot. I have a very common name, and mostly sit at my desk and (blog) do my job.
Unless the person is a jackass or malicious, I don’t bother correcting them, mostly because I don’t care, as long as I’m left alone to do my job and the paycheck clears…
February 13, 2012 at 10:21 pm
I would like to say keep that up, but *sigh* the world is cruel. Every boss is a jackass – at least that is what the movies tell me.
February 13, 2012 at 10:31 pm
I gotta say, in 20 plus years of working, my current boss is the best to date.
February 13, 2012 at 10:35 pm
Truly, every man’s wish is what you have got. Unless we’re talking taking over the company – then that’s a different story.
February 13, 2012 at 9:43 pm
Can’t believe I forgot – craziest Carl ever, from Llamas with Hats.
Enjoy!
February 13, 2012 at 9:51 pm
Damn! I’ve been missing out on some seriously hilarious stuff.
February 13, 2012 at 10:06 pm
Ha! Posted this in the wrong place.
But glad you got to enjoy it!
February 13, 2012 at 10:12 pm
I sensed that…I reread my post to figure out the link. I thought it was some witty comment my brain cannot quite yet understand and in the end I gave up effort and went with the safe route to comment, you know, appreciate whatever you said without actually knowing why it is there, the usual. After all increasing the comment count never harmed anybody, now did it?
February 13, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Hey, if htis keeps up, you may just hijack your own thread!
February 13, 2012 at 10:18 pm
Trust me I JUST raised the thread count from 3 to 10 for exactly that reason!!
February 13, 2012 at 10:29 pm
I’m a big fan of the unlimited reply. Never know how long some of the inanity will continue…
February 13, 2012 at 10:32 pm
At this pace we might just be able to hit infinity by tomorrow night!
February 13, 2012 at 11:19 pm
Haha, oh god this happens way to often! I can’t tell you how many people that I hang out with on an almost daily basis and I haven’t got the slightest clue about what their name is!
February 14, 2012 at 6:45 am
I think they would notice that, and they want to tell you their names, but the thing is, that they can’t address you. Because they sort of didn’t catch your name either.
February 14, 2012 at 10:59 pm
Haha, this is probably true. That mutual agreement where you agree to know each other, but not that well haha.
February 15, 2012 at 11:20 am
LOL Couldn’t have worded that better myself.
February 15, 2012 at 6:40 pm
Last week, my work friend and I were at a fast food restaurant waiting in line at the counter when that work friend saw her former coworker who was in front of us. They excitedly hugged each other, exchanged their how-have-you-been’s, while I got shoved in one corner. Work friend was aware of that but didn’t bother to do anything, let alone introduce me to her friend, all because she didn’t remember the name. And she didn’t want her friend to find out that she had indeed forgotten.
My sister, although she never forgets our names, always call me by my other sister’s name and my other sister my name. It seems incurable. We just shrug it off.
February 15, 2012 at 10:39 pm
My mother has an annoying habit of mixing up the names of her sons. It happens so often its not even funny anymore. Dad often says,” God woman! these are your children, memorize their names for crying out loud.”