On my way off campus the other day I was checking a file real quick, so i was thoroughly engrossed and I hear, "HEY CANDY!" Without looking I automatically answer, "HEY!," finish the sentence I was reading and then look up to see who said it, but they didn't look familiar at all, so I started trying to figure out who it was.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who does this; I have a lot of off-campus responsibilities so I cram a lot into my time on campus; like 8 hours of lecture into a 10 hour day cramming. So by the end of the day I'm a full on space case still trying to maintain enough function to get to the shuttle, find my car, and manage a 50 minute drive home.
So trying to shift gears into detective mode requires a fair amount of energy, and the ole brain is resisting a fair bit. We've all run across someone that we think we are supposed to know, but we can't quite figure out how we know them. It's like your own personal mining expedition; do I recognize the voice? Were they just in class with me? Were they in a previous class with me, like a different semester? How did they know to call me Candy?
According to WebMD's article: Why Can’t I Remember Anything?, this is all completely normal. "What's Normal? Things you learned only recently -- like a name at a party -- are the hardest to remember, because they haven’t yet taken root in your mind. Also, your brain has only so much storage space. It needs to make room for new, useful items. And to do that, it has to get rid of less important details, as well as those that you don't call on often."
Wait a minute.... Limited Storage Space?
What happened to the 90% we aren't using?
Well... back to trying to figure out who this person was.
Thinking... Thinking...
Come On Brain... You Can .... *thud*
I've met so many people in my time at Clemson, how can I narrow this down? So many files of faces, names, things in common, extracurricular groups I've worked with, Professors, TA's, employees I know from outside of Clemson, and those I've worked with on campus, I've got a whole library up there to dig through!
Nope... Not This One...
I Can't Remember...
Maybe I'm seeing them out of context and they're supposed to be wearing a uniform, or are they wearing a uniform and I don't usually see them in it?
Mmmm... Nope...
