Being the centre of the universe
I know I'm going a bit deaf, but now I'm wondering if my hearing is just fine and I should be being paranoid instead. I am sure we have a natural ability to recognize our own names. Most of us have been responding to them for most of our lives.
A few times recently I've heard my name being spoken in a crowd, or at least I thought I did. I'm sure I heard and saw someone on the train saying to their companion "isn't that Simon Fairbourn?" How over-egotistical it would be to query that? "Are you talking about me? Well yes, I'm me." But what if they didn't? How lame a question that becomes? I can imagine the comments after that one. "Who does he think he is?" Well, apart from the obvious - me - that one's easy, but still embarrassing. So I suppressed my inner Lord Flashheart (Woof!) and kept my peace.
Now today I did my usual thing of holding a door for someone when it would cause my less inconvenience to everyone on average than if I had simply barged through. Yes the needs of the one are really outweighed by the needs of the many. Twice, yes twice the other person, neither of which I had seen let alone met, said "thanks Simon". Again, how could you query that without coming over as particularly strange.
Now at work, I do have a name badge that states my name and has a reasonable picture of me on it. I can't imagine either could read it though. I wear it attached to a belt loop on my trousers. The printing is too small to read it clearly without taking a closer look. And I'd bet that my belly overhang, or more accurately shirt overhang, obscures the name anyway.
If I was Trueman, you would tell me... wouldn't you?
A few times recently I've heard my name being spoken in a crowd, or at least I thought I did. I'm sure I heard and saw someone on the train saying to their companion "isn't that Simon Fairbourn?" How over-egotistical it would be to query that? "Are you talking about me? Well yes, I'm me." But what if they didn't? How lame a question that becomes? I can imagine the comments after that one. "Who does he think he is?" Well, apart from the obvious - me - that one's easy, but still embarrassing. So I suppressed my inner Lord Flashheart (Woof!) and kept my peace.
Now today I did my usual thing of holding a door for someone when it would cause my less inconvenience to everyone on average than if I had simply barged through. Yes the needs of the one are really outweighed by the needs of the many. Twice, yes twice the other person, neither of which I had seen let alone met, said "thanks Simon". Again, how could you query that without coming over as particularly strange.
Now at work, I do have a name badge that states my name and has a reasonable picture of me on it. I can't imagine either could read it though. I wear it attached to a belt loop on my trousers. The printing is too small to read it clearly without taking a closer look. And I'd bet that my belly overhang, or more accurately shirt overhang, obscures the name anyway.
If I was Trueman, you would tell me... wouldn't you?