Trying to Place That Face
Okay, so I was digging through some old files on my computer the other day. Just cleaning house, you know? Came across this folder from a conference, maybe three, four years back. Lots of blurry photos, typical stuff. But one picture caught my eye. It was a group shot, kinda dim lighting, but there was this one fella in the background.
Couldn’t quite place him. The face wasn’t clear, seriously, it was like Bigfoot sighting quality. But the thing that stood out, clear as day even in the blur? His mustache. Not just any mustache, mind you. It was one of those thick, bushy ones that kinda hangs over the lip. You know the type. My grandpa used to call ’em soup strainers.
So, I’m staring at this picture, racking my brain. Who was this guy? It was bugging me. It felt important, like I had a really good conversation with him about, I don’t know, something work-related probably. Can’t remember what, though! Typical.
The Hunt Begins
First thing I did was try to fix the picture. Opened it up in some basic photo editor I have. Played with the brightness, the contrast, sharpening… nah. Still blurry. Made the ‘stache stand out even more, actually. Looked like a furry caterpillar decided to nap on his face.
Alright, plan B. I started thinking about the conference itself. Where was it? Ah yeah, Chicago. Who else was there? I remembered a few colleagues. Maybe they’d know?
I decided to message my old teammate, Sarah. She’s got a memory like an elephant. So, I sent her the picture, circled the guy.
- Sent the blurry photo.
- Waited. She’s usually quick.
- She messages back: “Who is that? Can barely see him.”
Right. Not helpful. So I tried describing him. “Remember that conference in Chicago? There was this guy, kinda tall, dark hair I think? Had a really… distinct mustache. Like a proper old-school soup strainer.”
Silence for a minute. Then she sends back, “Soup strainer?? LOL. You mean Mark? From that tech vendor? The one with the really loud laugh?”
Clue Found!
Bingo! Mark! That was him! Suddenly it clicked. We talked for ages about some new software integration, the guy was sharp. And yeah, he did have a loud laugh. The ‘soup strainer’ description, that informal little clue, that’s what did it. Not the blurry face, not the conference name, but mentioning that impressive piece of facial hair.
It’s funny how sometimes the most informal, kinda silly details are the ones that stick. You don’t always need fancy software or high-res images. Sometimes just describing something plainly, even using a goofy term like ‘soup strainer’, is enough to jog someone’s memory, or your own.
So yeah, mystery solved. Found the guy’s name, even remembered the conversation topic after that. All thanks to focusing on that prominent ‘stache. Just a little practical trick from my day, I guess. Sometimes you just gotta go with the obvious, even if it sounds a bit daft.
