Go Google Yourself!

Of course we've all googled ourselves to see just what comes up. When I google myself I find this blog, references to articles I've written or edited, links to a couple of alumni associations, an online art show, and references to the book for which I'm one of the co-editors. But have you ever noticed all those other people who have your name exactly? Obviously if your name is "Susan Smith" or "John Anderson" there are going to be innumerable others who possess your moniker. Nevertheless, one has to be a bit curious about these "others" who were graced with your name at birth.

I had always thought that my last name wasn't that common. With origins in Derbyshire, the name was most common on Virginia's "Eastern Shore" on the Delmarva peninsula, where the first of our family settled in the 1630s. Beyond family circles, however, I rarely saw our last name. Naturally I knew that there were plenty more, scattered around the country as long-forgotten branches of the family migrated westward.

But who is this Brian C. in Lincolnshire, England, who's a real estate site manager? There's a Brian C. football coach in Memphis, Tennessee, and a Brian C. insurance agent in Texas. I'm particularly impressed with my counterpart in Topeka, Kansas, who was quoted in the local paper with his opinion on the war in Iraq. "We were misled into this war," he observed, while marching in an anti-war rally in 2006. Well . . . at least one of the other versions of Brian C. has made a wise political choice. And the list goes on! A navy veteran of the Second World War. A guy who raises angora rabbits!

Unfortunately, none of these references carry photos. It would be interesting to see what these other Brian C.'s look like. (I know, I know . . . this is silly. But aren't you curious?)