I live in St. Louis, a large metropolitan area, but sometimes it feels just like a little city. I thought I'd share my story with some people who would really understand.

I've recently done a series of assisted living homes. The back story for each was that I was looking for a place for my mom. Last week when I arrived at my last one, I recognized the woman (who turned out to be the director) as the mother of a high school classmate of my oldest son, who graduated in 2003. I was using a pseudonym, so it wasn't as obvious, but the woman said she was sure she knew me from somewhere--did I live in [the suburb she did]? I played dumb and said no. It's a good thing she was only an acquaintance back then, or she would have known my mom has been dead for about 30 years. After a couple of minutes the director turned me over to the sales representative and left.

Fast forward to today, when I get a follow up call and voice mail from the sales rep. After inviting me to bring my mom in for a lunch, she excitedly said the director had realized the connection, and told me she said 'hi'. My standard line to back out of further phone calls and marketing is to insinuate my mother's needs changed and assisted living won't cut it any more. but I'm afraid if I run into the director again she'll ask what happened :-) My only hope is that I don't see her again for another 14 years.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2017 09:53PM by KathyG.

For some reason I totally get it

I was on a route of apartment shops through Tennessee and Alabama. The leasing agent at the complex in Huntsville, Alabama had a brother in STL who also happened to live about two miles from me. He visits often and was almost as familiar with the area as me. Naturally it was my last shop of the day and I still had a 90 minute drive to Birmingham. All the other shops were taking 20 to 25 minutes. That one was 90.

@LisaSTL wrote:

For some reason I totally get it

And, you'll also get the sales reps who asked where Mom went to high school :-)

I can't do any of these types of shops because I lost my mom when she was still pretty young ten years ago. It makes me sad to pretend I still have her. I denied a bunch of phone call shops because of this. But I always worry when I change my name or life story that I will see someone who knows I am full of it! Awkward...

Oh, I am reminded of the time I had a pending movie shop when my husband passed away. It was due about a week after his funeral and I just was not used to canceling any assignment. So, who did I see while I was doing my covert shop but a family who attended his funeral? It was a very crowded affair, I did not even remember seeing them there and here they were asking me how I was...And I was all alone.

This sort of fits this thread...yesterday I did a heavily bonused cell phone shop. While I was waiting for the guy to assist me I was fiddling with the phones. Much to my surprise when I pressed the photo button, a clear photo of ME popped up. Bahaha...I thought, "Did I just take a selfie?" No, it was a video and the date under it was from my last visit to the same store a few months ago. What are the odds that I would pick up the same phone, open the gallery and find a picture of myself from when the guy was demonstrating the camera last time. I quickly deleted it before the fellow could come and demonstrate the video feature again and see ME from a few months ago...duh..that was weird.