The Name Game

Just out of pure boredom, have you ever looked up your name in the phone book or did a web search of your name? I know, it’s a strange thing to do. Your day would have to be really slow to do it. But it’s humbling how many people have your same exact name.

I have a very common humdrum name. If I do a search I’m definitely coming up with someone other than me. Thousands. Probably some in the same town I’m in! So I’m not surprised to see someone out in Watering Hole, Iowa is farming out in his cornfield using my name.

I’m always curious when I see these imposters (that’s how I view them, I’m the original!) I wonder what they’re like. What do they do? What are their interests? Would I have anything in common with them? Do our similarities just end with the names we have? Is there anything significant about a person’s name that determines who they are? Are there common traits that we would all share?

Probably not or at least very, very little. I’m guessing if we all got together and sat in a big conference room there would be dead silence. We would probably agree on a few things. We need air to breathe. We’ve all seen a movie in our life. Clothes, yep we wear them. That would be about it. If we explored any further we would need firehose’s to keep order in the group.

I doubt we would all agree that 100 Grand is the best candy bar, Looney Tunes are hilarious, that we all tend to organize our bills by value, all think having books in the bathroom is cheesy and all think Billy Bush is a class A idiot. (well, maybe that last one) Forget about personal beliefs, sense of humor, interests, hobbies. All of us would have them, but not the same ones. We probably all wouldn’t be friends and hang out together socially.

The difference of name sharers would be nothing compared to birthday sharers. You know that Birthday Paradox? If you’re given 23 or more people – the probability is 50% that at least two of them will have the same birthday. Sixty people the odds are 99.9%.

Just think how many people out there are celebrating their birthday alongside yours in the world? Millions?

Would I get along with any of my fellow birthday sharers? Is there anything commonly shared by all of us? Even if it’s some small detail in our personalities that is across the board the same with all of us???

I highly doubt it. Our conversation would most likely end with “Oh, you’re a Capricorn too? Yeah, that’s pretty cool. Uh….I think I left my drink in the other room, would you excuse me.”