What’s in a Name?

It’s important to pay attention when being introduced to someone in case you hit it off with him and give him your number. It would be poor form to not listen during the introduction because, say, you were in a mood and were just making conversation to pass the time while you were texting friends under the table to determine the evening’s next set of plans. Because you would never want to be in a situation where you did not remember his name and then have to ask your disinterested girlfriend if she remembered so you could assign his name…some name…any name…to the number in your phone for when he called later that evening. And you would never want to be in a situation where you were going to be in his home state and decide to reconnect with him but not know if the name you assigned four months ago was anywhere near correct.

You know, hypothetically speaking.

But let’s just say something like this, maybe not exactly, but something vaguely similar happened to you…what do you do?

Do you bail on the idea of calling at all? I mean you don’t know what’s happened in the last four months. He could have a new girlfriend. He could not live where you thought. He could’ve never meant for you to actually call him the next time you were visiting his state. Heck, he could not even remember you.

Do you Google his number to see if you can stalk out more information about him? This tactic may have worked for you in the past so it could work again. But if it doesn’t work like the 95% of the other times, say, some person might try it…then what? Do you pay for a reverse call look up and cross that line in becoming a Super Stalker? While that seems to be one of the easiest and seemingly incognito approaches, what repercussions do you face, such as which companies does your information get sold to? i.e. what email lists do you end up on? I, I mean you, already don’t know how I’m you’re on some senior citizen mailing list that privileges me you to AARP membership brochures and special offers on hip replacements; I’m you should be afraid to know what junk mail I you would get due to this.

Or do you text? A simple message. Remind him who you are and tell him you’re going to be in town. Then casually ask him if he has time to meet up. Keep it breezy. If nothing else, that might be the most important aspect of your tactics at this stage. Breezy. Keep it breezy. Then apply the first fishing test. Sign it with your name, even though you know he has your correct name as you watched him type it into his phone as a proper gentleman would. But you do it to see if he mirrors the action in return.

Then you wait.

— Ballyhoo Backcaster