Hello. My Name is...

Drawing by Natalie Dee

As you may know by now--Ah! Who am I kidding? You don't know. Here's the skinny: I've been working at the new restaurant for two months now. Alright. Let's start over. As you may know by now, I've been working for the new restaurant for two months now and as embarrassing as it is, I do not remember everyones name. Only a select few. Outside of that, I'm all, "Hey! Can I borrow you for a hot second?" And while peeping on the terminal while they're putting in their orders, I'd read the name displayed and then refer to them by it. I crack myself up.

This one time about a month ago after I'd completed my side work to get signed out, I shouted out to everyone in the kitchen, "Who's John?!" Everyone looked at me and one or two of them shouted back, "He's the tall white guy with short hair." I took a pause, looked around, and replied, "You JUST described every male working here!"

I say its the company's fault for not degrading us by forcing us to wear name tags. I'm a visual person. If I see the name on the shirt, then I can correctly identify who's who. Instead, we're being treated with respect by the company and I have to learn who everyone is the hard way. Even if it is me saying, "Umm..What's your name again?" I'll still forget it two seconds later.

What makes this issue even worse is that the company has a site for us all to go to exchange work related emails and to view our schedule. On that site, our phone numbers and email addresses are listed (by choice). Every now and then I'd get a text asking me to pick up a shift. 98% of the time, I really don't know who I'm talking to. But I put up a facade and act like I do. They all buy it.

In the end, I fail. I need to learn who these people are!

In the words of my Kenny, Geez oh Petes!