Several years – perhaps decades – ago, in a job a whole universe away from what I do now, where I used to work as part of a team of eight, I experienced something strange; and also rather frightening.
This particular day, there were only seven of us on duty, as the eighth person, Sharon Honeysuckle, was on holiday somewhere, doing something that she’d told a couple of the others on the team about. What, where, when and how, I now remember not, and the reason for this lapse in my memory will become very clear indeed.
Another of the team, Dawn Armatrading was explaining Sharon’s reason for having the day off, and it was there that we hit upon the snag.
“Who on Earth is Sharon Honeysuckle?” I asked.
“You know,” said Dawn, taken aback, “Short dark hair, pleasant girl, usually sits opposite you.”
I was puzzled. I knew there was another person on the team who was absent. I knew she was a she. I knew I spoke to her daily. But could I think of her? The team leader, Sharon Greentree, sat opposite me that day, which probably didn’t help, and it was this Sharon that I could only remember. “No…?” I questioned again.
“Brown eyes. Slim. Bought the sari last week.”
“I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
Dawn brought another team member into the conversation, Maxine Gavinson. “Maxine, Tom is saying he doesn’t know Sharon Honeysuckle. Describe her to him…”
Maxine laughed at first, but realised I had no clue as to who Sharon was. “She rides the motorbike,” Maxine offered. “Wears very red lipstick. It was her birthday last week.”
“No. I’m sure she’ll come back to me.”
And with that we got on with our work, although I desperately tried to think of this elusive Sharon Honeysuckle…
What I was experiencing here was a different variant of déjà vu, although kind of the opposite, if you like. Jamais vu is the experience of being unfamiliar with a person or situation that is actually very familiar. This phenomena usually occurs when the brain is tired.
I’m pleased to say that that was the only time I’d ever experienced this, and I apologised to Sharon Honeysuckle profusely the next time I saw her, as I recognised her instantly.
Still, it was quite a frightening experience, I don’t mind admitting.
😀 😀
The Mansionic Perspective 
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