The Name Game: A Midnight Crisis
In the 70s, forgetting a name was more than just awkward—it was an adventure.
This is a story from the 70s that still makes me laugh today.
“Deb, wake up. Wake up! I need to talk to you. Right now!! It’s important.”
“Are you ok? What time is it?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine. It’s about midnight.”
“Why are you whispering?”
“Well, I’ve brought my date back, and he’s sitting in the living room drinking a cup of coffee.”
“Ok. Umm - congratulations?”
“Oh, stop it - it’s not that.”
“Ok, so what is it?”
“Well, it’s kind of a funny story.”
“Brenda, you’re waking me out of a dead sleep to tell me a funny story while your date sits in the living room. You know you can tell me in the morning, right?”
“Well, this really can’t wait.”
“Why?”
“I don’t quite know how to ask you this, BUT, can you remember his name?”
“Who’s name?”
“My date’s name.”
“Like you just forgot it this minute? Or you haven’t known all evening?”
“It’s a bit embarrassing, but I haven’t known all evening.”
“How do you spend an entire evening with a guy whose name you don’t remember?”
“Well, it turns out it’s pretty easy.”
She begins to quiet-laugh. You know, it’s like when you think of something funny in a crowded elevator, but you can’t laugh out loud because you’ll look like a lunatic. So you continue quiet-laughing until, of course, you burst out laughing, looking like that lunatic.
The more she tries not to laugh, the more she laughs. And because she’s trying so hard not to laugh, she starts snort-laughing. All of which is making us both laugh even more. But quietly.
Obviously, she does not want ‘buddy’ to know she’s in her sister’s bedroom asking her if she knows his name, so she pulls herself together and joins him in the living room.
So, this is what happens to popular girls! I did not know this. She’s been on so many dates in recent weeks that I can’t keep up. She’s obviously having the same problem.
I tell ya, if someone had asked me on a date, I’d remember his name. Ok, I heard it too. Easy to keep track if it’s just one guy. But I digress. This is about Brenda and her total inability to remember people’s names. It’s finally caught up to her in a most hilariously, ridiculous way.
But the date was just about over, anyway. He was going to be leaving in the next 5 to 10 minutes, so what did it really matter? Except I think she was concerned if he called her again. How could she identify him? These are real-world problems for 20-something year olds in the 70s!
So how did it end? Unfortunately, I don’t quite remember, I’m sorry to say. But I’m going to create a few scenarios that ‘might’ have occurred, and you can choose your favourite. Mine is OPTION 5.
OPTION 1: I go out to meet him so he will have to introduce himself to me. But keep in mind, I’ve got curlers in my hair and I’m wearing ugly pjs. And of course I’m not wearing makeup. So do you really think I’m ever going to agree to this??
OPTION 2: Brenda could ask him how tall he is or his age and then act surprised, thus making him prove it with his driver’s license.
OPTION 3: Ask if he ever had a nickname in school. But that’s a risky one, because what if it was something completely unrelated to his name? But, then again, she could call him that as a joke. Unless, of course, it was a cruel name.
OPTION 4: Ask for his number and hand him a piece of paper, hoping he includes his name. Remember, there were no cell phones back in the 70s, so he couldn’t just put his name and number on her phone.
OPTION 5: My favorite missed opportunity is also my biggest regret. Imagine if I acted like I knew and just gave her a random name. Can't you picture it all now? This part of the story would practically write itself.
Which option do you prefer? Or maybe there's another possibility I haven't thought about. If that’s the case, then you have to share it!!