News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Liz Ciancone

July 20, 2011

LIZ CIANCONE: Haven’t we seen you somewhere before?

I’ve heard it said that everyone has a doppleganger — a look-alike — and if that’s true, I suppose that somewhere in the world is a person who looks enough like me to be mistaken for me. Maybe it would take a dim light, or a vivid imagination, but for what it’s worth …

My Best Friend and I were especially looking for dopplegangers as we engaged in “people watching” in airports on a recent trip. In fact, we had only gone as far as Atlanta (where we “enjoyed” a two-hour wait) before I nudged my BF and said, “That guy over there — in the blue shirt — doesn’t he look just like our former mayor, Kevin Burke?”

He agreed. And over the course of the next couple of weeks we had a waitress who looked just like Shelley Long from the “Cheers” cast, as well as encounters with folks we see everyday at home.

I don’t think it’s homesickness, at least not in the conventional sense. We were on the way to visit family in Pensacola, Fla. What we call “P’cola” has become almost a second home to us since we have vacationed there often since the mid-’60s and it feels like our home away from home. Still, the doppleganger theory seems to kick in as soon as we leave the city limits of Terre Haute.

We had a delightful couple of weeks with family and their friends. We misjudged the crowds over the July 4 holiday. It seemed as if everyone in Florida was headed for the beach to enjoy a three-day holiday.

On our second weekend, the Navy’s precision flight team, The Blue Angels, were to perform over the island, and our family lives on the island. They always have a big party for their friends living on the mainland, but if the crowds were bad the first weekend, we could only imagine what it would for the air show.

One guy left home at 8:30 a.m. to arrive on the beach at 11 a.m. This for a 2 p.m. performance. He was lucky. Some folks didn’t make it at all and got stuck on the bridge leading to the island.

We were told there were 10,000 cars on the beach that day. We passed on the air show, but arrived in time to fill our plates and enjoy the company at 5 p.m. when the traffic was all headed the other way.

If we’d looked hard, we’d surely have found dozens of Terre Haute dopplegangers in a crowd like that. But you know it’s time to come home when everyone looks like someone you know. It was time to come home — so we did.

Liz Ciancone is a retired Tribune-Star reporter. Send e-mail to opinion@tribstar.com.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Liz Ciancone
Latest News
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
AP Video
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse Suspect in Killing of Officer Found Dead in Cell Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse American Held in Grisly Czech Murders Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer Officials: Tsarnaev Friend Linked to Slaying High Wire Spectacle Thrills Crowd in Austria Today in History May 25 UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested Britain Braces for Possible Copycat Attacks Obama:Sexual Assault Threatens Trust in Military Today in History May 24 Bus Fire Kills 16 Children, Teacher in Pakistan Raw: Memorial Day Flags Placed at Arlington ShowBiz Minute: Shelton, King, Lopez Raw: Gay Rights Activists March in Ukraine Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy Raw: Pakistan Election Results Protested
NDN Video
Young protestor goes viral on Youtube High Wire Spectacle Thrills Crowd in Austria Toronto Mayor says he's not a crack head Maine island offers lighthouse getaway Suspect in Killing of Officer Found Dead in Cell Should We Prepare for Quakes? Lynn Kindergarten Class Rescues Ducklings Congressional gold medal awarded to civil rights heroes Charles Ramsey visits Kentucky Unique Display Greets Guests At Revel Casino Cape Cod Train Service Worries Residents BASE jumper rides snowmobile off cliff to honor dead friend Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day' SHOCKING: School Guard Throws Girl Down Stairs Star Wars X-Wing Star Fighter Made of Legos Actress Amanda Bynes Arrested in New York Singer Psy Has An Imposter President Obama Heckled at National Security Speech Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air More lewd photos may soon come out: Weiner
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

     

    March 12, 2010

activity
Real Estate News