A Case of Mistaken Identity

As I rest this Sabbath day, I am pondering two cases of mistaken identity. In order to protect the innocent (or guilty) I will only use first and last initials. These stories have been relatively amusing, but are quite intriguing and both relate to spiritual issues, and people in the United Church of God, ironically enough (both of them, as well as myself, have ABC connections, to make things even more coincidental). So, without any (further) ado, here are the cases of humorous and occasionally frustrating mistaken identity.

Case #1: Dissing The Wrong Albright Brother

A certain young lady lived in the Tampa Bay area for a time, and my younger brother had a crush on her for a long time. She wanted nothing of it, as she is a couple of weeks older. She even insulted my younger brother by saying he was not a member of the Pittsburgh Posse, something that mattered (maybe matters) a lot to him. While visiting Tampa for the summer (I was in college at the time) I met her a little, but did not know her all that well. So, when she went off to ABC, and whenever someone else brought up my name to her, she dissed me to all comers about how much of a rotten scoundrel I am. Such calumny is rather irksome to me, and it was not until a few months ago that the truth was discovered: all these years she mistook me for my younger brother. *Glares*. Look, if you want to want to diss me for what I have said and done, that is fine (I certainly have said and done enough). But don't even think of saddling me with someone else's reputation, unless it's a good one. Then it's okay.

Case #2: An Unintentional Prophecy

Some of my friends (jokingly, I hope) call me Nathan the Prophet. Once, however, I made a tragic and unfortuante, and entirely unintentional, prophecy, involving a young woman I barely knew who also has a close ABC connection. It all started in 1998, when I began writing a trilogy of plays called the "Church Kids Trilogy" of church kids gone bad (and I am putting that rather politely). I finished the trilogy in 2003. Now, I gave the beautiful (and somewhat hypocritical) heroine of the trilogy a very beautiful name, because I did not know anyone by that name at the time (and I still don't know that many people with the name, it is somewhat unusual in these parts, except among the mafia princesses of Tampa I suppose, whom I do not tend to know). Anyways, it turns out that the name I picked (which was the same name as the acquaintance of mine) ended up describing the person somewhat well (not perfectly, but too close for comfort at any rate). That said, perhaps it is irrelevant. If she has mended or mends her ways, whatever she did in the past (and all of us have a past) is irrelevant. God forgives us all, which we can be quite thankful for. As that is the case, it would not be right to comment too much about her deeds, especially if they are covered with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

And with that, I bid adieu.