Call me Anything, I will Answer

I was at work yesterday and Tarp told us a story about his weekend. Apparently he was introducing some people around the table and he gets to his friend Bart. When he says, "and this is Bart" Bart says, "actually, it's Raymond". Tarp was so SURE his name was Bart! So sure in fact that he thought poor Raymond was joking...we are laughing about it, and Tarp says, "how could he just let me call him Bart!" And then I remembered...this has happened to me, and it might be a good enough story to tell you all.

So I went to a really large University. I would pop off with some number, but I really have no idea how many students were there. We are the state school, so we are huge. Classes with two hundred people kinda huge. Needless to say, you don't always get to know people in your classes. You come and go, seeing faces, but never taking the time to learn names. One day my senior year I am sitting on this couch in the biology building waiting for my next class. I am studying hard(reading People magazine) when I hear a guy say "Hi Rachael!!" there were several people in the little lounge, so I look up to see the exchange between this Rachael and he friend. I don't know them, I am just extremely nosey. As I look up, there is a guy staring at me with a big smile on his face. I smile back, a little confused, and he sits down to talk to me. Apparently we have classes together....who knew! (I am commonly unobservant of people around me...) After a couple of minutes he stands up and says, "well, see you in ecology Rachael!"

I freeze. I just realized that the guy saying "Hi Rachael" was THIS guy...and he was talking TO ME! With a split seconds hesitation I just say, "BYE!" and smile. What do you do?? I mean, clearly I had unintentually answered to Rachael when he first walked up! (so damn nosey...) and now, I just couldn't embarrass him (and me). I figured it didn't matter. I had never spoken to him before, this is a huge school, I am sure it would never come up again...

A few days later I walk into a lab and there he is...I realize I have no idea what his name is, but it seems rude to ask seeing as how he clearly knows my name...I mean, he THINKS he knows my name. He gets a huge smile on his face and says "Hi Rachael! How was your weekend?" I realize I am trapped. I have answered to Rachael too many times. It would be CRAZY to say "hahaha...actually, just call me Sarah...that Rachael thing...I...not..." so I decided to roll with it. Over the next few weeks I realized this guy REALLY liked me. I would see him across the street and he would give me that big over head wave and yell "RACHAEL!!" I was with a friend once when it happened and she gave me this "that guy is calling you Rachael..." look, I just gave her a little shrug of my shoulders like, "what are ya gonna do?" (she may have given me the "YOU ARE CRAZY" look back....I was to busy waving back at No-Name) Then of course there were the times he tried to get my attention, but I didn't notice because he was yelling someone else's name!

Our last semester it came to a head. We had a small class together. A small class where we had to give presentations. When it was my turn and they said "SARAH" and I got up...his face...I wish I had a picture of it. Pure confusion. My PowerPoint clearly had my name on it...no Rachael in sight. When I sat back down he looked at me and asked, "why does the teacher think your name is Sarah, Rachael??" I shrugged and said (WHY) "I go by both". I just COULDN'T tell him that I only go by Rachel to him....but I think he realized. He never really talked to me again. Which...really, was much better.

Anyway, the point is that sometimes these things just happen. Yes, I should have told him right off the bat, but once you DON'T say it, then you are stuck! I could really feel for poor Bart in Tarps story...he probably was just being nosey when Tarp yelled "Hi Bart!!!"...