On Saturday at Captain Jelly Belly’s Gymboree class, another Dad there asked me if I worked at Carleton University. I don’t. He told me, though, that there’s a woman who works there who looks exactly like me.
That would be interesting or amazing or cool, if only it didn’t happen to me like, every other week. Seriously, I estimate that 1/3 of new people I encounter tell me that either I look exactly like someone they know, or remind them of someone they are related to, or look “really really familiar” but they can’t place me. It’s weird. I don’t think I have a particularly generic look or anything, but I guess there are a lot of people out there that look like me. Huh.
I should have had Sir Monkeypants take my photo yesterday so I could post it here, and everyone who reads this journal could confirm that in fact, I look exactly like someone else they know. If I get around to showering today, I’ll have him take care of it.
TurtleHead 
You’re not alone – that happens to me constantly too! I constantly have people coming up to me asking if I have a relative at this school or that place of employment…it’s craziness. I think it’s mostly because of my hair – people think that all of us with curly brown hair are related I think.
Hey, I have wavy brown hair! Maybe you and I are two of the look-alikes! 🙂
Good to hear from you, Soci, by the way. I was noticing last week that you hadn’t posted in ages and I was wondering where you were!
People used to say the same thing to me all the time, and I must confess I thought it was just people not being able to tell one brown person from another. But I guess everyone gets it. Good to know. Wow, does that mean there are actually a lot of people out there who look like me? Whoa.
For the record, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who struck me as a dead ringer for you. However, just last year I met a girl who reminded me of you, personality-wise (she’s California ). She makes a lot of cool observations about stuff and she seems to have your ability to remember everything that ever happens. Cute and fun. She has that in common with you, too.
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I’m shocked that anyone noticed! haha I know, I’ve been pretty slack in the livejournal department lately, but am hoping to write a bunch soon!
I’ll see if I can find a pic to post so you can compare our hair.. 🙂
I’d say that of the people I meet, more say that I look like someone they know than don’t. Since we all experience this, perhaps it something else? I mean, could it be that people just get caught staring at us and then want an excuse when we catch them? has a theory that when you’re told you look like everybody else that it’s a compliment. It means you have an average face (not in average boring but, rather, average median), and apparently average faces are the most beautiful. Dunno…
Have any guys out there been told they look like someone someone knows? It’s weird that it’s all girls in this thread.
Hm. I don’t know about this average face theory. I think maybe there’s something about me (and everyone else on this thread!) that has a common look. For me, I think it’s partly because of my glasses (the trendy wire-look, everyone has them) and partly because of my hair (shoulder length, brown, and wavy — very generic).
I have found that in the past year or so, as much as I hate being told I look like someone else, I’ve started doing it to other people. Just this Saturday at Gymboree I saw a girl come in who looked just like Clara Higgerty. I was so convinced it was Clara, I went up to her and almost talked to her. It was only when I was standing right next to her that I realised it wasn’t her, but the two certainly look enough alike to use each other’s ID. I’m sure this woman thought I was a nut for coming right up like I was going to say something, then suddenly turning and running away!
Several months ago at the pool, I saw another girl who looked a lot like a girl I used to work with, Lillian. Lillian lives in England now but she has five sisters (really!) so I thought maybe she was one of them, so I asked her. But she wasn’t related at all. Again, I found it amazing how much she really looked like Lillian.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that in both these cases, I really did think the person involved looked a lot like someone else. So maybe we really *do* have many dopplegangers out there! I like to think it’s because I have kick-ass genes that are totally dominent. 🙂
Interesting…I must meet her someday! Maybe she can write for my next fabulous website :).
Personally I have also never met anyone who I thought really looked like you. But as you know, I do enjoy playing the “who would we cast as…” game. And a few times I think I’ve done excellent casting for some of my friends — famous people who not only look like them, but *are* like them in terms of actions and personality. So maybe it’s more the way we talk and act that reminds strangers of other people…hm.
You have a point. I’ve always felt that when you wear glasses, people just see glasses and no other facial characteristics. So maybe that’s why you and I get it; we both wear glasses and have medium-length brown hair.