DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been notoriously horrible with names my whole life. I have found ways to help me remember names, like slideshows. After a Weight Watchers meeting, I will record the people I meet and go over it once or twice in the week so I can greet people accordingly the next time I see them. I never thought of this as an invasive practice until my co-worker caught me “studying” on my computer. I explained that remembering names is hard for me, so I record the interaction so I can recall the name and person who I was speaking to. She called this “creepy.”

I’ve never thought of my process as something that would make someone uncomfortable; I just found a way to fix a problem about myself. Should I stop with the slideshows? I don’t want any rumors going around about me at work. – Not Creepy, Just Forgetful, Shreveport, Louisiana

DEAR NOT CREEPY, JUST FORGETFUL: You do not have to change your strategy for memory. You may just need to be more discreet in the future. Know that your solution is commonly used for dignitaries and notables when they are attending events. Their staffs prepare sheets with photos, names and titles of key people they may meet so that the images are fresh in the dignitary’s mind. Similarly, publicists use the strategy to be able to identify guests as they are arriving at an event. The point is that you are not alone. Keep your method. It works.

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DEAR HARRIETTE: I was in an incredibly small store recently, and as I turned, my ponytail knocked a trinket off the shelf and broke it. The owner and I proceeded to have a bit of an argument after this because there was no “You Break It, You Buy It” sign hung in this minuscule store. We ended up compromising, and I paid for 50 percent of the item. I still think this was unjust. If storekeepers set up their stores like this, it should not be my responsibility to pay for the items I damage by accident. Should I not have put up a fight? I clearly broke this by accident. – Cramped Spaces, Racine, Wisconsin

DEAR CRAMPED SPACES: It’s too bad that you got caught in that. I think it was reasonable for you to put up a bit of a fight about paying for the broken item given the circumstances, but it was also fair that you came to a compromise.

In the future, I recommend that you avoid going into any retail space that looks too cramped for comfort, as it probably is!

— Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to [email protected] or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.