Moving the Needle

By choice, my memory is fading.

Has this ever happened to you?  You are walking through a public place and are nearly accosted by someone who recognizes you.  You smile, respond with pleasantries, then inquire as to their well-being, all the while trying to recall their name.

Instead of being direct, you listen and scheme for ways to cleverly distill their name from the tens of thousands in your database.  You offer this person your card, only to discover that neither of you have any.  You exchange phone numbers and have them write it themselves, hoping that they'll add a name to the listing.  You ask them to call your cell phone, hoping that they don't have their number set to ANONYMOUS.  You offer them your  email address, hoping that they will send a self-identifying message.  The exchange ends with a handshake or a hug, and you separate with the other person's identity still unknown (at least to you).

I used to feel guilty about such exchanges.  By choice, I only strive to remember things that stand out.  Sadly, this includes people.  This happens frequently during "Friend" requests in Social Media.  Strangers and online trolls are easily detected and rejected.  But what about the people whom you should know, especially the ones in your own graduating class?  I have to be honest:  Sometimes neither a name nor a face will cause the little red needle on my memory gauge to move.

That leads to a related question:  Am I causing someone else's needle to move?

What are you doing - good or bad - that would stake a claim to that precious corner in someones memory?  What are you going to do professionally?  What are you going to do today?  What are you doing right now?

B Positively Positive!