Dopplegänger

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I remember that back in around 2010 Doppelgängers became popular on Facebook, and throughout Doppelgaänger Week, people set their profile pictures to anyone or anything that looks like them. I remember setting mine to Jack Black.

I came to a realisation tonight, that we also have Doppelgaänger names. I do not think that I am the only one who wonders what another person with the exact same name as me is doing with their lives - where they are, what they do, what hobbies they like, what foods they prefer. It compels me to wonder.  What are their circumstances? What career do they have? Do they know the same people as you? Do they look up to the same people? 

I happen to know someone who shares my exact first name and surname. We differ utterly in physical and mental states yet we share most of the same interests - rappers, scary things and pizza. I met her, if I can recall correctly, at a church Halloween party. Ever since then, I have been attending each Halloween and I scare her mask off when she reacts to my special fx makeup. Apart from all this we have twelve mutual friends on Facebook, but that number does not take into account all those both of us have met collectively. 

But I always wonder, what if we had the ability to swap into any of our Doppelgaängers' bodies? What if we had the ability to spend a certain amount of time living under the same identity but in another form, in another place, or possibly in another time? If only Doppelgaänger transferring was available. I am sure then that we would each have very interesting stories to tell.

Imagine you chose to transport into one of your Doppelgaänger's body and you were caught in the midst of a bank heist. You were holding a gun, and about to shoot an innocent bank worker. Just as you transported your Doppelgaänger pulled the trigger, and you yourself witnessed this innocent killing. Or what if you cannot swim, and after transporting into another Doppelgaänger's body you were caught under water, scuba diving with their husband? And you started to drown? Or perhaps you were able to adopt their swimming skills? What if you get stuck in your Doppelgaänger's body, never to return to your own and you bump into your original self one day?

I cannot help but to imagine this every time I think of someone with the same name as mine. It all seems impossible but one never can be too sure about something.