fourworlds

After a lifetime of trouble recognizing people I’d met once or twice before, I finally realized I have a mild case of face blindness. This was brought home for me a couple weeks ago when my wife and I were working our way through Season 3 of The Wire. She made a comment about the scar on actor Michael K. Williams face. Of course, I said, “What scar?”

She thought I was joking. I’d not only seen him in 20+ episodes of The Wire, but also in two seasons of Boardwalk Empire. But I wasn’t joking. It actually took me a minute or two of focused attention to finally find the scar on a freeze framed close-up. Apparently, the reason I have trouble remembering faces is that my brain doesn’t perceive facial details very well. The good news is that I have a good story to go along with the blank look on my face when someone I don’t recognize greets me.