Mistaken Identities.

Are you ever mistaken for someone else? They say everyone has a double. Have you seen yours?

Well, I have been taken for someone else four separate times in the past year, and each time it has been for the same person. It all started at the farmer's market last summer. One of the vendors smiled broadly and said "Barney, how are you?"

I smiled back and said, "Sorry, I'm not Barney."

&"Boy you sure look like him." he responded.

"I hope that is good." says I.

Next I was buying a bottle of wine up at the Southwood LCBO just before the new year. There was a man and his wife in the line ahead of me. "Barney, long time no see; how is ???," the man said.

Before I could respond the wife says "He is not Barney, dear."

After the embarrassment passed, we chatted about the similarity and parted. I think the wife was still admonishing hubby for talking to strangers as they went to their car.

Next I was visiting the hospital when I passed a semi-private room. I noted the presence of an older patient sitting in her wheel chair at the doorway as I passed. "Barney," she called as I walked by. -- I keep walking. -- "Barney," she persisted. I turned back and went into her room. "Sorry Ma'am, but I am not Barney."

She looked a me for a couple of seconds and said, "No, I guess you're not -- Barney visited yesterday and I thought he had come back again today."

The next incident was again at the CMH. I was sitting near the entrance to the Wellness Center waiting for my wife to drive up. A gentleman comes in, obviously in a big hurry. He spots me sitting there and makes a quick 90 degree turn towards me with his right hand outstretched. "Barney, good to see you. Sorry but I can't stop -- I'm running late," he says as we shake hands. I did not get a chance to say a word before he was gone.

I sat there wondering if I should have chased him to correct the error when the same gentleman comes back through the doors he had only recently passed in the other direction. "You're not Barney Oldfield are you?" he said.

"No I'm not," I said, and feeling the need to elaborate I stammered, "I'm -rrr- Matt Foster."

"When I realized that you did not recognize me, I knew that you could not be Barney." he said as a way of explaining his return. ";I've known Barney for years, he would have said hello."

After I started this story it happened again. I bumped into an old friend, John Hagopian outside Home Hardware the other day. Guess what he said? "Matt, how are you -- boy do you ever look like Barney Oldfield." It must have something to do with aging. I have lived here for over 35 years and do not recall being called Barney in all those years.

I have it all planned in my mind now. If I ever am pulled over by the police and they ask my name I will say "It's Barney, officer -- Barney Oldfield -- O-L-D-F-I-E-L-D."

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You may recall that I said, in a previous article, that I believed in evolution just as I believe I will find the winning 6/49 ticket on the street. Well, believe it or not, I found $31.00 worth of lottery tickets on the street while walking home from the market shortly after the article ran. All of the tickets were for the previous day's draw.

Was fate tempting me here? Had my ship come in?

I immediately hurried home, turned on the computer and found a web site dedicated to lotteries. I reviewed the numbers twice.

The person who lost the tickets will be relieved to know that there were no winners in his/her lost tickets. We could have won -- but only if they decided to rename the lotteries the 1/49 and the Super 1.

Have a nice day.