Little Men of Mine: Don't I Know You From Somewhere?

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Don't I Know You From Somewhere?

This morning, I had to interview a dentist for a story in an upcoming pull-out section for our local newspaper. The thing about dentists is you have to catch them when they're not seeing patients. So we set this interview for 8:00 a.m. Now, to the average person, that's pretty early, but not so bad when you can just get up, get yourself ready and go. I, on the other hand, had to also get three little monkeys up, dressed, fed and out with enough time to drop them at my mom's and still make it to the dentist's office on time.

As a rule, my Charlie (5) and Ted (3) are up first, way before I'm ready to stir, usually around 6:00 a.m. or so. Two-year old Lou is still in a crib in his own room, so he's really at my mercy, although he does sleep later anyway. This morning, just because we had somewhere to be, no one got up--I think I can honestly say that, in nearly 6 years of motherhood, that's the first time I ever woke someone up on purpose! Since they're usually duking it out over yogurt while I'm trying to sneak in an extra 15 minutes of sleep, I really had to fight the urge to have a loud argument with myself until they couldn't help but yell at me, "Do you have any idea what time it is? Normal people are still sleeping!"

Somehow I managed to get us all out of the house in record time and with only one of them grumbling. I dropped everyone at Grandma's, made it to the dentist's office 10 minutes early, sat in my car for another five so I wouldn't be *too* early, and went in only to find out that he wasn't there yet. After 15 minutes, the receptionist came to get me, apologizing because he'd actually been there all along, and she just didn't know it, which didn't really help me because then he thought I was late.

But he shook my hand anyway as I introduced myself, and I forgot to point out his receptionist's error because then he asked me the question I get everywhere I go. "Have we met before?" It might not always come in that form. Sometimes I hear, "Do I know you?" or, "Where are you from, you're so familiar?" or, "You look just like my sister's best friend's cousin" or some such variation.

Now, I know a lot of people. I came back to live in the town where I grew up, so it's possible that I've met a lot of its residents at some time or another. But I can never find any past connection with any of the people who ask me these questions--ever! None of them actually know me or have ever met me. Likewise, I have never met any of my doppelgangers who are apparently walking around in every town in America. My poor kids--two of the three of them resemble me. Are they, too, doomed to a life of looking just like someone that everyone else knows?

Posted by Jennifer @ 8:51 PM 0 comments