Who Are You?

I am just wondering if I am forgettable.

Am I? 

While having our photos taken with some of the CPI wives last weekend...

Flamboyoncé: What's your name?
Me: Huh? Di ba you added me on Facebook a couple of years ago? (Didn't you add me on Facebook a couple of years ago?)

I met Flamboyoncé at a friend's house for a birthday party years ago. In fact, she asked me if my daughter knew her eldest daughter since they went to the same middle school. I have nothing against her. I am just wondering if I am that forgettable, and that I don't leave even just a little imprint in someone's memory.

If it happened to me one time, I'd understand but several times? Oh come on! Back in 2005, while in NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) on our way back to Los Angeles, I saw a classmate from elementary to high school. I remember she was my walk-to-home-from-school buddy  for many afternoons. We even got in trouble when we were in first year high school because we laughed so loud at the library just because of the word "menstruation". Miss Bijud, our Social Studies teacher was so frustrated and mad at both of us for behaving that way.

Now back to the airport, I walked towards her in the waiting area. I was excited to catch up with her after many years of not seeing each other. I was sure the last time I saw her was back in April of 1989, during our high school graduation.

Then...
Christi: Hi classmate!

She greeted me first.

Me: Hi Christi!

Then I just walked past her pretending to head to the souvenir shop across where she was seated.

What? Did I heard her right? Did she forgot my name? Suddenly, from a young leaf, I felt suddenly welted.

Another experience was about five years ago. At a friend's thanksgiving party held at a park because she just passed her nursing licensure exam, I met a lady named Auri Nola. We chatted for the most part of the day. In fact, I got so excited to have met a new friend that I added her right away in my Friendster account that evening. I left her a message too, but I am not sure if she remembered me from the previous day because she ignored that message and the friend request. Oh well! Yes, I still see her in some gatherings though but we have never exchanged even a hello since.

Precisely, the lady who celebrated her thanksgiving was someone I met the first time that day too. Her husband works in the same company as the mister. But from that time on, she never fails to say hi to me and exchange besos every time we see each other in gatherings. I guess, she's an exception. 

There was also one time that I added a former student, Sherwin Dang, on Friendster. I thought he remembered me since another student, Rhantz Se Lot, recognized me at a mall when we visited the Philippines back in 2005. He even recognized the mister.

Sherwin didn't accept my friend invite right away but instead he asked me: "Who are you?"

WHAT? Not again! I don't want to reintroduce myself and refresh his memories, when it was so obvious with my profile photo and my name. How many Lil Divines does he know? He was even one of my students who called me "Mrs. Divine". It's just odd when I should be the one getting confused with names and faces of students when they were so many of them. Right?

A lot of my friends ask me why I don't add friends on my Facebook account. I developed this fear—fear that they may not recognize or remember me.

Sometimes, I just tell myself that "I have better memory than others" just to appease my bruised feelings. I think in a way, my memory is a gift because some friends from college asks me names of former classmates that they forgot already. Well, at least they remember that I have better memory in our class. I remember dates and even some details like their clothes down to what we ate. I even remember their boyfriends in college that they are trying to forget now. Hahaha.

I don't stand out in a room in terms of height and beauty but I know I have the wit and humor that you can never get from school or gain it from a surgeon. I just know that that makes me different from everyone else. Yes, I talk a lot. I can't keep myself from asking questions to people. As some would say, I am louder compared to the quiet husband. We compliment each other. He doesn't steal my lime light.

But there are just times that I wonder if I am forgettable.

Am I?