Having a lunch conversation with myself

Having a lunch conversation with myself - A man standing on a sidewalk - Street

Doppelgängers— an apparition or double of a living person.

Last week I headed to Los Angeles with a checklist of tasks to complete. At the top of the agenda was meeting my living double with the same name, Alex Press.

Not only did he have a beard, similar haircut and black frame glasses I used to wear before I got Lasik, but he also is in the same career field— currently he’s the copy editor for Out Magazine.

We “met” about three months ago when I did a vanity search on the networking website Linkedin, found him and added him as a friend. Immediately, Alex started messaging me.

In an email he wrote, “There may be other odd parallels. Years ago, I worked as a reporter on Fire Island, probably pretty similar to Key West. I’m now living in another beach town with nice weather year-round, Santa Monica.”

When we finally met in person — at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Santa Monica — we uncovered many more similarities. During my California visit, I was staying at my cousin Sharon’s house (maiden name: Sharon Press). His sister has the same name. She even is an animal lover and has five dogs in her household, the same as my cousin. He is Jewish American and never had a Bar mitzvah — just like me. And he has a food blog while I have a website that features many photos of food.

Of course, there are some differences. The other Alex Press is gay, a vegetarian and nearly twice my age and getting his Ph.D. in Classical Literature from UCLA. I’m younger, a dedicated meat eater, and learning how to xxxx.

It was a blast meeting my “twin.” You should do a vanity search, too.