miss cellophane, i am

"And even without clucking like a hen

Everyone gets noticed, now and then,

Unless, of course, that personage should be

Invisible, inconsequential me!

Cellophane

Mister cellophane

Should have been my name !!!!

Mister cellophane

'cause you can look right through me

Walk right by me

And never know I'm there! "

-- Mister Cellophane, Chicago Soundtrack

sadly, this song reminds me quite a bit of myself, or more accurately, the lasting impression i must make on others. read the lyrics and it's obvious - that impression is one that does not last at all. here is the crux of my peeve - for as long as i can remember, i have had this ongoing issue about people meeting me and then forgetting they met me, thus causing the next introduction to be just like the first. let me clarify - i'm not talking about a 2-second introduction to someone's friend at a bar or a neighbor leaving the apartment building at the same time as me. i'm talking about meeting friends of friends, co-workers, etc. repeatedly and each time having the person forget they've met me previously. i'm talking about people with whom i've spent entire evenings, had discussions with and talked to about thier jobs, kids, spouses, etc.

i used to make it a point, upon re-introduction, following the phrase, "nice to meet you," to let that person know that we had, in fact, met before. this just causes a lot of awkward stuttering and useless talk about when and where we met previously, followed by a sheepish apology from the other person. i always end up feeling stupid, regardless, and wondering what it is about me that is so forgettable. so, i quit pointing out the fact that i've already met people and play along, pretending it is the first meeting for both of us. i got especially good at this in college, when a particular friend of my roommate's boyfriend met me, not kidding, at least 5 or 6 times and thought he was meeting me for the first time at each encounter. after that, i think he finally started remembering me or maybe my friend's bf told him to stop forgetting me, not sure which.

since college, i've dealt with this somewhat, but not nearly as much. however, my peeve came glaringly back into existence last thursday at a work event. my office right now is the home of not only the regional employees that are supposed to work from that facility, but also a temporary space for our sister region, which is awaiting it's new lease approval. so, there have been lots of people in and out of the office over the past few months who typically would not work in close proximity with me. because they are sharing our space, though, i have come to know the other staffers and at least recognize everyone and know their names, even if i don't always stop to chat or have a reason to work one-on-one with them.

the event on thursday night was an outing to see the chicago symphony at an outdoor venue. this venue is great - you sit outside on the lawn, bring your own food and alcohol and just enjoy the weather and the music. anyway, i went with a friend who i work with and her boyfriend. we got there later than everyone else and apparently, as we were walking over to the group, one co-worker asked another who i was. WHAT?! granted, the co-worker who didn't recognize me is a staff person from the sister region, but still! i've TALKED to him at the office and been involved in some discussions between him and my manager. he didn't even recognize me. i work on corporate sponsorship for his events and raise income for his region - how can he NOT know me?!

needless to say, i was baffled, annoyed, embarrassed, and felt frustratingly transparent. forgettable me, miss cellophane. and i wonder why i can't get a date or why a guy i meet in a bar doesn't call me like he said he would! it's because i'm not memorable! apparently, there is nothing about me that stands out! not my job, not the way i look, not my personality. god.

maybe i need to have a little sign that i carry with me at all times. it could say, "you've met me already, so pretend to remember" or maybe "we've been introduced, don't make us both look like idiots by doing it again" or, "yes, you know me. don't argue." i think the last one is my favorite. i could just hold up one of these as the person is approaching, give it time to register and then by the time they are actually extending a hand or starting to speak, i've saved us both the embarrassment. they may walk away wondering where in the hell they ever met me or thinking i'm a nut case because they know for sure they haven't met me (they have), but at least i wouldn't have to go through that painful re-introduction, branding me again as someone that wasn't worth remembering. spare me, please.