I wanted to write something from Alaska
that was not about cold weather and snow. The three stories have to do with
mistaken identity in our town of Fairbanks.
The first happened in 1987. My friend Pat's mother was supposed to pick him up
after school, after waiting about an hour he decided to take matters into his
own hands and start walking home. While walking along Airport
Way he spots what he "thinks" is his
mother’s new Dodge Caravan. He runs over to the vehicle that is stopped at a
red light and enthusiastically swings open the nifty sliding side door to see two small
children in car seats. As he realizes what has happened the terrified mother of the
clone Dodge Caravan accelerates briskly away from the intersection, side door ajar, with a
panicked look on her face.
The second happened in 1999. My friend Tracy H. was going to see my other
friend Tracy J. at her new job at Design Alaska,
a local architectural firm. Tracy H. gave directions to the building
and at one
point in the conversation said it looked like a brown house. Tracy H.
goes to what she thinks is the location walks inside an actual brown
house and scares the crap out of
two people who are sitting down at their dining room table for lunch.
Tracy H. then
asks the obvious "Um…this is not Design Alaska
is it".
This last one happened in the winter of 2000. My two friends Oran and once
again my friend Pat Had just come out of Fred Meyers (local grocery
store) jumped in Pat's car (1988 red Subaru, a favorite car in Alaska because
it's a cheap and reliable 4WD) that they had left running outside (common
during the coldest parts of winter) and drove away. After a few miles they
notice a strong smell of cigarette smoke (neither are smokers) and then realize they have left in
someone else's Red Subaru. Luckily they were able to return it without incident
and find their car.
I guess it goes to show even in a little town like Fairbanks,
Alaska sometimes it’s easy to get confused.