Mildred and Henry

This is a post that I originally had on my myspace blog I'm entering it here because I liked it so much.  Also because there are a lot of Wil's Mildreds and Henrys out there and this post explains where it comes from.  

As a very visual person I tend to remember faces of people rather than their names.  Don't get me wrong for the time that I'm around that person I'm saying their name every chance I get in an effort to remember it during the party, the business meeting, the night out, etc.  A month or two later, however, I'm really hard pressed to recall the person's name.  But five, ten years later and I'll still remember their face and the feeling that the person evoked in me at that time.  

It can be awkward asking someone their name after they've clearly remembered yours.  Enter Mildred and Henry.  When I see a woman (or man) whose name I clearly forgot, none of this awkward business of "Hi, I forgot your name" with me.  I walk right up to her with a big smile on my face, happy to see her and remembering the good time that we had when we first met, give her a hug and say "Hey Mildred how are you?  It's really good seeing you again.", simply acting as if Mildred really and truly is her name.  Without fail she will say "Mildred?  Mildred?  My name is _______!"   I then tell her that I know it's not Mildred but I just forgot her name.  We both then get a good laugh out of it avoiding any hard feelings or awkwardness and I get to know her name again.  It works every time.  For the guys I use the name Henry to the same end.  

I'm often asked why Mildred.  Some think that the name is ugly.  I don't.  There's an old world quality and strength to the name Mildred that I like.  I've come to like this name so much so that I've taken to using it as a name of endearment with my female friends.  So at odd times I might say to one or another of them "Hey what's going on Mildred?" or "Mildred, did you..." or "Mildred, what are you doing for lunch?"  The looks that I initially received when I started calling them Mildred could have killed.  They've since come to accept the Mildred moniker as the term of endearment that it was intended.  

Corny I know, but that's just me.  

Jenoy.  - Wil