Prosopagnosia (Facial Blindness) and Other Bonding Adventures

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In reply to a post where I admitted to a medium case of both directional dyslexia and facial blindness,the latter of which often causes me to confuse two people and think of them as one,  I received this message from Ana Daksina, who ironically discovered that she, too, had thought that another WP poet and I were the same person! I love the irony–especially when Forgottenman revealed the fact (the first time, to me) that he, too, had facial blindness. He even put a name to it, which I will repeat if I can find his comment.  Here is Ana’s:
Ana Daksina

11h agoThe Poet’s Public Record

You have face blindness? Only about two percent of us do! Usually, we’re very exceptional people.Since you ran a post about encounters with the famous soon after my post, I was pretty sure that, out of the two of you, I’d run you as a tribute ~ now I have to go check. Hey, there’s an institute which studies this disorder, did you know that? They would probably benefit by you filling out one of their questionnaires.

Okay, I did go back and check, and the tribute post was indeed about you. Apparently as soon as I figured it out I did go back and correct it, too, because the introduction no longer says you spent your salad days hobnobbing with the greats (sic!).

Usually I send a link to anyone I feature ~ yet another strange thing about this series of events ~ here you go: (Note from Judy: She must have sent the link to that other “me,” as the first time I saw it was when Forgottenman forwarded it to me. I forgive thee, Ana, as I know this problem so well….)

Here is a reblog of her reblog of my blog!  Phew.

https://thepoetspublicrecord.wordpress.com/2025/04/05/technically-flawless-funny-as-hell-wps-poetic-expats-tipsy-rhyming-rants-%f0%9f%a4%a3/

The final note from Ana was: Haha, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, and we have the beginnings of a friendship now! Take care 👩‍❤️‍👩

I’m also somewhat faceblind (Prosopagnosiac?) I have a story about my self discovery. Maybe I’ll tell it. Or not. Pretty sure this is the website you’re referring to:

https://www.faceblind.org

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About lifelessons

My blog, which started out to be about overcoming grief, quickly grew into a blog about celebrating life. I post daily: poems, photographs, essays or stories. I've lived in countries all around the globe but have finally come to rest in Mexico, where I've lived since 2001. My books may be found on Amazon in Kindle and print format, my art in local Ajijic galleries. Hope to see you at my blog.

29 thoughts on “Prosopagnosia (Facial Blindness) and Other Bonding Adventures”

  1. Martha Kennedy's avatarMartha Kennedy

    Wow, Judy, I had to find out more about this. It’s just bizarre how strange each of us is in some concrete, physical way. My aunt Martha had directional dyslexia. We joked about it, but I don’t think it was always funny for her. On afternoon in a rain storm she drove around the same block several times completely lost and there was no way to save her by saying, “Turn right.”

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    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      I have directional dyslexia as well..Knew about it when I learned about learning disabilities in a class I had to take to maintain my teaching license! Then years later I found out I had the facial dyslexia when a woman I was giving a ride to said her mother had directional dyslexia, too and asked if I have problems recognizing faces. I said yes and she said her mom did, too. The two conditions often go togehter.

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          1. Ana Daksina's avatarAna Daksina

            Ooh, words flow like Champaign for me but numbers have always been my total downfall. You, however, can do both right and left brain brilliantly ~ that’s being able to say a lot!

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      2. Martha Kennedy's avatarMartha Kennedy

        Interesting. I have dyscalculia (sp). It was so frustrating when I was in school and back then people just thought I wasn’t paying attention. I cried in algebra class. 4 and F look the same to me in and equation — b and 3, 5 and z and others. I could never balance a checkbook because I would write the numbers in the wrong order. I discovered it when I “lost” 300 bucks in my checking account. I went to the bank and the assistant and I went through every entry and I’d written almost every number wrong.

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        1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

          My dyslexia is not severe but is getting worse as I age. My mother had the directional confusion, too, would come out of a gas station and drive back in the same direction. I have to continue to go places by the same route or I get confused. Imagine.. I went around the world twice on my own!

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            1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

              Yes.. but I often set out by myself. Found others to travel with me. I was on a boat the first time but rented a little car and drove all through the Tsavo game preserve with just one female friend. Probably foolhardy, but we made it.

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          1. Martha Kennedy's avatarMartha Kennedy

            Yes. But I know it now. That makes a huge difference. My Aunt Martha (back then) got me a calculator. THAT made a huge difference. With the old 10 key calculator I was fine. That was a different thing, like typing which I do well. I even worked in accounting at Head Ski and in payroll at the university of Denver College of law. My strongest learning style is kinesthetic so that all helped me a LOT. it was writing by hand from something I was looking at — like a text book or a check into a ledger that got me in trouble. My math teachers would look at me, “You did everything right and got the wrong answer.” My physics teacher in high school gave me an extra credit lab so I could pass the class.

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            2. Martha Kennedy's avatarMartha Kennedy

              Me too. I loved physics. I ditched creative writing to do that extra lab. Physics was my favorite class. I still love science as long as I don’t have to solve equations.

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    2. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      I have to remember where north is by imagining facing where my friend Rita North’s house was in Murdo, then remembering west is on my left, east on my right and south behind me.

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      1. Ana Daksina's avatarAna Daksina

        No kidding? I took it without any of those experiences.

        Being massively targeted, I’m always concerned for fresh connections I make. You might want to alert the site, to let them know to watch for more occurrences, and also watch your own device, apps and accounts for hacking for a while.

        It’s rough knowing I bring good people as much sorrow as joy. My targeters so delight in knowing it. If it seems necessary, you and I can drift further apart again. Time will tell.

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