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How Quirky Behaviors and Unique Traits Can Leave a Lasting Impression
Whether you like it or not.
Nicknames typically represent some element of truth. They run the gamut from funny to cruel, well-deserved, or seemingly random.
Ugly Naked Guy from Friends leaves very little to the imagination, and when someone calls you a Close-Talker, the Seinfeld reference speaks for itself.
I recently encountered someone I met years ago through one of my kids. As we chatted, I wondered whether she remembered me until she suddenly said, “You’re the one who’s never ridden a rollercoaster, right?”
That’s a fact! She obviously remembered me. So much so, that she even assigned me a nickname of sorts.
How funny that I left that impression on her. How she associated me with something I most likely mentioned briefly as part of a larger conversation — like, “Name your favorite amusement park ride.”
I started thinking about people in my life that I refer to in ways other than using their real names.
• There’s “the lady with all the dogs,” who walks them around the block together several times daily.
• The “woman from the gym with the gorgeous hair,” who my husband can only recall when I refer to her this way.
