Doppelganger

I received a book back from one of my freelance readers yesterday with a sticky attached that said, "She looks like you!" Referring to the cover model. I thought she looked more like Amanda Seyfried, but who am I to quibble. It was a nice thought. She's a pretty girl.

I always think its funny when someone says that someone else looks like me, because I never see the resemblance. Tina Fey said this about Sarah Palin. She just didn't see it. It wasn't until her husband said that he thought she kinda looked like her, too, that she had to take it into serious consideration. I wonder if this is because you see yourself in a certain way and don't realize how you really look. Kinda like when you hear your voice on a recording and you recoil. However, if more people thought I looked like Geri Ryan (who my cousin thinks I look like), then maybe I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the idea. On the flip side, I once took an internet "test" that asked you to scan a picture of yourself into the program, and it would take measurements of your face and tell you what celebrity you looked like. Me? Roseanne Barr. Followed by Femke Jansen. I'll take Jansen and leave the Barr, thank you.

Usually, however, most people think I look like some girl they knew in school. Doesn't matter the grade. Or say I remind them of someone, but they can't remember who. Back in my Dunkin Donuts days, my boss's four-year old son, thought I looked like a popular commercial actress who was in national campaigns for McDonalds and Mr. Clean. His mother said that he would stop whatever he was doing, point to the screen, and say, "Mom, it's Jessica!" He really thought it was me. The funny thing was, I knew exactly which girl it was because she kinda did look like me. She occasionally pops up in commercials now. We're not aging at the same speed. (Ahem.) Around the same time, I had a regular customer come in and tell me that he just saw me argue a case on Court TV the day before. I

did a bang up job for the defense. I told him that being a lawyer was my day job, but pouring coffee was where my true passion resided.

The funny thing is, when I look at all these pictures, I see the commonality in their visage. The shape of their faces, the shape of their eyes. And since they're all attractive (yes, even Roaseanne can be pretty), I'll take it as a compliment -- especially that Geri Ryan. Seriously, she's hot -- even if I don't see it myself.

So, here's a question for you, dear reader, who have you been told you

look like? Or, if you prefer, you can tell me who you think I look like.