Person from past - awkward!

Fletch123

Any advice on what to do with this situation?

Started my current job in September. I move around between different offices during the week depending on where I'm needed. During my first few weeks there seemed to be a few familiar faces about the various buildings. I'm pretty terrible at remembering faces and in most cases I discovered that I didn't know the people (they just looked familiar). I figured that anyone I knew would say hello (as I usually smile at people as I walk on by) and a few did.

One girl I thought looked familiar didn't say hello. And I've found out that I do know her (daughter of a family friend who I haven't seen in years, but who I did know quite well at the time). At this stage we've walked by each other so many times that I should be saying hello to her as a co-worker, but I'm afraid to.

Now that I'm certain of who she is I feel embarrassed that I didn't say hello the first time.

Basically, next time I see her should I just smile like I would to any normal co-worker and pretend that I still don't know who she is, or should I stop her and explain who I am, or should I do a double take and claim to only notice who she is in that instant?

LegacyUser

Neither just go up to her say hello and say that you have been told that she is so anso's daughter

griffdaddy

Don't worry about it. This happened to me a lot when i went to ucd, prior to that I went to two of the biggest secondary schools in Dublin, so had a pool of potentially 400 faces and names of people in my years who i should've remembered. Nothing was worse when then when someone said, 'alright griff, how you getting on man?' and i had to try and skirt around mentioning their name without them realizing i couldn't remember. My advice is to just talk to her as if she was a normal co-worker and then at some stage say, 'oh wait a minute, are you bla bla bla?' and then take it from there. I doubt she's going to turn on you for not remembering her or anything

Fletch123

Thanks Griff.

Yeah I'm usually able to deal with a blast from the past but it's just with this girl I feel stupid that I didn't say anything to her in the beginning (and I'm wondering why she never acknowledged me).

If I do end up having a double take moment I don't think it will be very believable. We know a lot about each other from our pasts and I'm kicking myself now that I didn't say anything in the first place (or second or third).

Maybe since she hasn't said anything to me she doesn't want me to either?

Cianos

Fletch123 wrote: »

Thanks Griff.

Yeah I'm usually able to deal with a blast from the past but it's just with this girl I feel stupid that I didn't say anything to her in the beginning (and I'm wondering why she never acknowledged me).

If I do end up having a double take moment I don't think it will be very believable. We know a lot about each other from our pasts and I'm kicking myself now that I didn't say anything in the first place (or second or third).

Maybe since she hasn't said anything to me she doesn't want me to either?

Doubt it. Just stop her when you're passing next and say that it's been bugging you for a while but you think you might know each other, is her name X. Or something like that, just something to break the ice. Either she's oblivious to it or is feeling as awkward about it as you are. Either way, the awkwardness will be over in the first 10 seconds of talking

herya

Just mention it to her next time you meet her - there's a very good chance that she can't place you either and you'll have a laugh!