I once Googled my own name hoping my blogs were going viral and I was becoming famous. Most of those blogs actually did go viral. Based on Webster’s definition of “viral”, they died. That can happen with infectious humor.
Google surprised me by coughing up about a dozen Gene Newmans as well as websites that offered to find more. Wouldn’t it be interesting to meet 50 or more of your unrelated complete namesakes? I’d like to know how these other Gene or Eugene Newmans have been getting along with our common names.
I was named after Grandpa Eugene who preferred his middle name and called himself Owen. My middle name came from Grandma Frances but, not wanting to fight my way through grammar school, I stuck with Eugene (or the cooler Gene.) However, my earliest nickname was “Genie”. (Ugh!)
A Gene Newman convention would be quite unique. Unlike other conventions we wouldn’t need name tags and a group photo would be captioned: “Front row left, Gene Newman, etc, etc, etc,…….”
We’d probably drive the hotel desk clerks crazy trying to figure out the bills of 50 same-named guests. And if one of the Genes is crafty enough, he could run up huge tabs in the bar and restaurant and sign his name with various room numbers. We’d have to make background checks before sending the invitations.
I once had a scary experience because of a renegade namesake. In 1962 I had to convince two FBI agents I wasn’t the Eugene Francis Newman on their Most Wanted list. Unrelated Eugene was still on the loose following his armed robbery.
Fortunately I didn’t have his telltale tattoos and, although we were about the same age, we weren’t look-alikes. Also, I was with the Air Force in South Korea when he pulled the job
If that Eugene has become available and law-abiding when we have our convention, he would have some interesting stories to tell and maybe he could bring his parole officer.
Imagine That 