The Fear of Being Forgotten
You are at a party with lots of people. You sit at the bar, sipping one drink after another, when suddenly you look around and realize that you have been standing here alone for an awkwardly long time. Everybody seems to be busy talking to other people. You feel like that sock that always gets lost in the laundry-no one cares if you’re gone.
In panic, you dream of how your life will be when no one remembers you. You find them sitting there reminiscing, "Remember that guy? The one who was always telling bad jokes? What was his name again?" They chuckle and one of them says, "Oh, you know… uh… what's-his-face?" And with that, you become just a footnote in the story of their lives.
And to make things worse, your best friend who knows who you are in the first place begins talking about his "new best friend". "Oh, you’ll love Tyler! He’s so great! Way better than…. what was your name again? You can almost feel that hovering invisible question mark.
It’s then when you choose to leave a lasting impression on this moment in existential dread, Perhaps a dramatic exit is in order? You could stage a performance worthy of a soap opera.
But just as you’re about to go on stage, your phone buzzes. It’s a text from your mom: "What for dinner? Don’t forget!" Ah! This is the irony of all times, you’ve gone from wanting to be remembered to wishing you could just be left alone with your thoughts and a plate of nachos, of course.
As the party goes on around you, you find that the fear of being forgotten is really real but possibly not as big a deal after all. For what's to forget, really? Even when people forget your name, they will sure remember that guy who made the hot dog eating contest sound like an Olympic sport.
