Are you a hugger? I’m a hugger. There’s just nothing wrong with a hug. But there is one thing that can make them awkward: that moment when your arm has committed to a friendly torso squeeze, and you realize that despite the sincere warm feelings you are about to express with this gesture, you cannot remember the most basic thing about this person: their name. Now, instead of enjoying the mid-hug rush or the post-hug glow, your mind is frantically searching for that lost data point.

You may even want to say, “Hey, I really enjoyed your list of favorite rappers/our lively debate over front yard succulents/that dreamy make-the-rest-of-the-room disappear eye contact we had, I’m just bad with names!” The thing is, even most non-lame excuses sound lame at a moment like that. And unlike the diciest crossword clue, you can’t just guess and see how it goes. 95% of the time you’ll be wrong, and the other 5% will be clouded by thoughts of “I’m pretty sure they could tell that was a guess.”

You know where I’m going with this. You can avoid this entirely. You just remember their name. Whether you part ways by hug, handshake, bow or high-five, you get the zest of human connection with no awkward fumbling. Onward fair rememberer!

Owen