Maybe it's homesickness, or maybe I am just paying more attention, but I am constantly startled to see the doubles of friends and family. Oh sure, they aren't exactly the same, but something about the person's spirit is there and catches my eye, reminding me fondly of my friend. On my first adventure into Paris, about my seventh or eighth day here (remember I didn't leave the house on the first day), I swore I saw Marilyn Z, a woman I worked with for many years. Then a few days later, I know I saw Deborah H's double, and she smiled at me, as though she recognized me. The wonderful thing about this experience is that when it occurs, it reminds me of people I wouldn't normally think of. I smile to myself, and remember something good about the person. It's not just seeing, I swore I heard Stacey laugh last week in Le Marais knick knack store. I chuckled to myself when I heard it. The flip side of this sensory experience is sharing an experience with someone who can't be there, what I am calling virtual sight seeing. For instance, when I ventured into Chateau Vincennes and read about the tour of the medieval fighting arena, I thought of my friend Neal and his huge interest in this stuff, so I will pay closer attention, and try to see it through his eyes. In Strasbourg(now part of France)and the Christmas town capital of France, I constantly thought of my friend Deborah Rambo saying, "tell me how they decorate for Christmas." When I passed the Triumph dealer while out on the bus one day, I laughed as I thought about Paul G's face if I were to ride a Triumph motorbike! We even took pictures of a huge red rooster somewhere near Cuisy for my rooster loving friend Cass, and laughed while we imagined her face when we told her about climbing through the mud to take the pics. When I climbed to the top of the Cathedrale de Notre Dame in Strasbourg, I could have sworn my friend Coleen Tracey was there at the top, looking down and smiling, and if you knew Coleen, you wouldn't have been surprised to find her spirit there smiling down on the Christmas town capital of Europe.
