Of All The Names And Faces


Two people at church whom I know but not very well introduced themselves one Sunday, and I overheard the following exchange:

Steve: Hi, I'm Steve Cooper.
John: Hi, I'm John. Did you say Steve Cooper?
Steve: That's correct.
John: Huh, I knew a Steve Cooper in middle school. Guess it's sort of a common name.
Steve: I guess so. Actually, you're right. There was this one time when I was at a conference, and this woman came right up to me. I didn't recognize her at all, but she said, "Steve Cooper?" I said, "Yes," trying to think if I knew her from somewhere after all. She said, "Wow, it's good to see you! Remember me, Lauren, from Hillcrest Church? It's been a long time!" I said, "I am so sorry, but I've never been there. I'm not the Steve Cooper you're thinking of." The woman was so confused. "But you look just like him!" she insisted. Apparently I look very similar to a man with the same name as me. Go figure.

They say we each have a doppelganger somewhere in the world. A twin of sorts, like in 'The Prince And The Pauper'. I've had people tell me before that they've seen someone who looks just like me, but then didn't turn out to be me. I wonder how easily I would spot the match - my face in someone else's - or if the differences would be too obvious for me.

As for having the same name, I read a story about two people with the same name - a guy and a girl - who met through Facebook, fell in love, and got married. Kelly Hildebrandt (female), did a search for people with the same name as herself, and came across Kelly Hildebrant the guy. She sent him a message saying 'Hi, we have the same name', and the two began to talk. They lived states apart but eventually decided to meet and later to get married. When they planned a trip together, the airline was sure there was a mistake, since two tickets with the same name for the same flight were issued simultaneously.

So I wonder, which is more appealing? To be completely unique or to find someone who is the twin of our face or name? Same faces or same names: we can be mistaken for someone else, though fingerprints and personalities will always show the differences. Everyone wants to know that they aren't alone, and that they are understood and accepted. Maybe finding or at least believing that there is someone in the world like us is a comfort. Our doppelganger, our twin, our passport to another place or time, envisioning our life as someone who could be taken for us. Somewhere out there, the prince to our pauper. Curious.

Comments