Tuesday 30 January 2007

You and who else?

In 'Anagrams' the writer Lorrie Moore floats the idea that there are only a few hundred people in the world, who presumably swap costumes and contexts, playing different roles. She may well be right. By a certain age everyone we come across resembles someone we know or knew. We describe folk by who (whom?) they remind us of. 'Doesn't he look like George, with a little bit of Dave thrown in?'. Most of them don't appear to make enough to fund their several lives lavishly, but they must have the edge on you and me, who are excluded from the multiple personality game, possibly as being too incompetent.
I seldom seem to have enough to fund one life comfortably, but I have done the sensible thing and shortened it through various kinds of substance abuse. I'm going to work up to obesity next, but I don't suppose the government will show much appreciation for the years of pension support and health care I will be saving it. Let alone celebrate that there's only one of me.

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