Why can't I remember faces?

"When there are too many characters in a film, I get confused, who's who."

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"I often don't recognize people I meet on the road. Maybe this is the beginning of Alzheimer's."

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He used to say these often and smile, to cover it up I guess. He did not show any other sign of Alzheimer's till his last breath and we were not aware enough to know about a neurological disability called face blindness.

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For a person who was in a public sector job in his prime, where he had to interact with multiple people in a day, I wonder how difficult it must have been for him to carry on his job, given that he struggled to recognize faces.

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He was known as a gentle, calm, quiet and somewhat recluse who hardly had any friends. Not because he lacked sensitivity or warmth, or was not friendly in his demeanor. He never seemed to be excited to meet people on the road and hence was assumed to be rude, uncaring, cold, uninterested in human interactions.



On the contrary, as his child, I know how genuinely warm he was to fellow human beings. He couldn't carry on long conversations, and small talk also seemed a challenge in the pre-smartphone (not texting) days as one had to talk face-to-face or on the telephone.

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Now when I recollect how he never enjoyed films or had trouble remembering people and faces, I just feel a sense of helplessness. Now that he is no more, I have no way to check with him or get him tested for face-blindness, a rare form of invisible disability.



I can do only one thing now. Spread awareness.



Let's not assume that a person is rude, uncaring if the person repeatedly fails to respond in unfamiliar settings. Let's not jump to conclusions right away. Let's give some time before we summarily reject a person for failing in social situation. Let's be more inclusive to people who might have such invisible disabilities. Allow space, be inclusive. The world will be a better place for many even with the slightest touch of acceptance and love.