I've been looking for an opportunity al week to use that word. Now I can ignore it again.

1) Simple. You open you mouth, and say, “I’m not comfortable with the associations I have with your house, and won’t be able to visit you there.” I’m sure your friend will understand.

2) Who are you again? Oh yes, the red shoes. I have this problem as well. I have failed to recognize my sister at my front door, and my own daughter in public. At work, people wear name badges, which help unless the badges get turned over. However, this is a bigger liability in your line of work. You may need to explain to the partners somehow that you have this condition. What I do at work, when someone asks me to do something like e-mail them a certain document, is to say something like, I’m sorry, please remind me of your name so I don’t send it to the wrong person. I’ll also joke that I don’t even remember my kids’ names, if I haven’t seen the person for awhile. Even the occasional, please send me an e-mail asking this so I don’t forget to do it (when I’m not at my desk) really helps. You can’t do this with your boss, however, so the best thing would be to explain it. As lawyers, they should understand that they can’t simply dismiss you under ADA guidelines, and they should learn quickly to remind you of who they are when they need you to do something, as a reasonable accommodation.

I think this is why I kept my long hair for so many years. I was genuinely concerned that people wouldn’t recognize me, because I wouldn’t have recognized them!

3) Didn’t we already have a Gattica letter recently? It is unlikely that your sister will have the same specialty as you. Even if she does, consider it a compliment that she wants to follow in your footsteps. If you are smart enough and dedicated enough to become a doctor, you can’t be a sloucher. Remind yourself of your own abilities, and discard those tapes comparing you to your sister. If you were to ask, I’d bet she admires something in you that she feels she lacks. Talk to her and explain how you feel like you’ve always had to compete with her. Don’t expect her to change her plans, but don’t be surprised if she is surprised at your feelings.

4) He’s just not that into you. Move on.