When you work with the public most of your life, you get to meet a lot of people on the job. And of course, some like you and some do not. The same is true on my side although I get along with almost everyone. I was told by a customer that if someone couldn't get along with me, they couldn't get along with anyone. I thought that was a nice compliment but they never dealt with me first thing in the morning! 

 As I get older, my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be and sometimes I find myself in a situation that I have to "go with the flow" so to speak to save myself from embarrassment. For example I may be at the mall shopping and someone will come up to me and start a conversation. "Hey Ron! How's it going? Still working on cars? How's your Mom?" And so on. After answering all the questions they say so long and walk away and I stand there asking myself, "Who the heck was that?" Maybe a day or so later it may come to me but not always. 

 Many times I would run into someone I thought I went to school with and ask them "Didn't I graduate with you?" Since most of the time it was a woman, I have been accused of using that question as a pick up line. (It never worked anyway!) 

 At some point and time I'm sure we all have put our foot in our mouths as the saying goes and I probably have done it more than most. Here's an example. Many years ago I was working at a dealership uptown and my work area was at the far end of the shop. The customer service area was at the opposite end. That's where the customers brought their cars in to have the repair orders written up. One day I happened to look up front and thought I saw a man I used to work with at another dealership. The guy I used to work with had a great since of humor so I shouted towards the front. "Hey, Frank!" (not his real name) No answer. So I shouted louder. "Frank!" No answer. Frustrated, I shouted, "FRANK, YOU DEAF MORON!" He finally looked at me, so I started to walk towards him and he started walking towards me and when we got about 20 feet apart I realized . . . It wasn't Frank! 

 I felt myself turning ten shades of red but I didn't let on that I had made a mistake. He shook my hand and I played it out, but I felt like the moron and rightly so. To make matters worse, he was the owner of a popular local restaurant. Needless to say I never went there to eat again. 

 There was another time that was as bad or worse. I was at the Firemen's Field Days many years ago and I got separated from my female companion at the time. I walked all around looking and saw her with her backside towards me at a booth playing a game. I walked up and tapped her on the shoulder and said something about leaving with me (I don't remember exactly). When the person turned around and it was a "He," I just wanted to find a hole and crawl in it. 

 These days I have learned to keep my mouth shut until I'm sure of what I'm doing. The funny thing is that while I may not remember a name, I usually remember what year and make of car they drove. I guess that makes me quite a gear head but as you might guess, I have been called much worse! 

 So if you ever run into me sometime, feel free to remind me of where you know me from. After all these years and meeting hundreds of people, my memory sometimes fails me. 

 But one thing I did not forget . . . keep your mouth shut till you are sure!