Has this ever happened to you?

It's seeing people out of context isn't it!!

Yes, and not in their usual 'uniform'!

I was emailing a friend,to update them on an operation I had...a craniotomy....spell check changed it to a lobotomy....I really hope not!

Are you on the right thread Gilred?

I am always in this situation as I run a big community choirs project and lots of people know me as I stand and flap my arms in front of them
but I am not able to remember them from the sea of faces! I am always being greeted warmly by lovely friendly people whom I do not know from Adam/Eve.

For 27 years I was a primary school secretary so I have known a lot of children and parents. I know when I should know them but I soon forget their names.

Only too often. I still remember an occasion in a supermarket when my children were small when a couple came up to me, addressed me effusively, knew who I was, the children and our house. We had a long and interesting conversation, then we got on with our shopping. I never met them again and, as far as I was concerned had never met them before. To this day have not the slightest idea who they could possibly have been.

Oh I am glad it's not just me! But in my younger days I would have known immediately who he was I'm sure.
It has happened before. A woman came and sat next to me on the bus - she knew me and was chatting away about holidays, the weather, etc etc and I couldn't place her for the life of me.
She got off the bus at the same stop as me, and as we walked along I remembered that she lives across the road from me! (Though I don't see her very often) I don't think she realised for one moment that I hadn't recognised her.

What's worrying me at the moment is that I had a conversation about this with someone yesterday and I can't for the life of me remember who I was speaking to ...

In a shop the other day, a lady spoke to me asked how I was etc. I couldn't place her at the time. Sitting at home later I realised our sons went to school together In my defence I hadn't seen her for a couple of years.

I was in Waitrose last week when a blonde lady rushed up to me and said how lovely it was to see me again because it had been such a long time. She wanted to know how I was and I assured her I was fine and we parted very cheerfully. She seemed to know me awfully well but I have NO IDEA who she was

I don't think it is age. I remember faces, but not names or where I met the person. In my 20s as I left work a good-looking young man stopped me. He started talking and said after a while, you don't remember me. do you? Apparently I went out with him for about three weeks! I know I had a lot of boyfriends but that one really threw me, as he even remembered the names of all my sisters but I had no recollection at all. He must have been very boring!

A while back my Dh was waiting for me outside a shop. When I arrived he was chatting with another man. This man seemed pleased to see me and asked about our daughters. When he went I asked DH who he was as I couldn't place him. His reply was "I've no idea "! still don't know who it was.

Just as bad is mistaken identity. A couple of days ago I answered the phone (number withheld) and immediately recognised the voice of my 91 year old uncle. The person on the line then identified himself as someone entirely different, who had been at school with me, was a family friend of Mrs. Grumppa, and was only in his late sixties.

Some years ago a man stopped me in the supermarket and asked me if I was going to ignore him. The penny dropped and I replied " sorry I didn't recognise you with your clothes on ". he was one of the men from the badminton club where I played. Several people gave me funny looks but to me it was reasonable, I had always seen him in sports clothes, not a suit.

I was with my friend at a restaurant and one of her many ex flings stopped to say hello. She couldn't remember his name so couldn't introduce us. Always quick thinking she said to him "don't be shy, introduce yourself."