2004-01-28
Bizarro

Ok, who knows who Bizarro is? For those who don't, here's some explanation.

Bizarro is Superman's clone. The problem is, you can't clone Superman. So every time it is tried, the clone comes out warped. He has all of Superman's powers, as well as a distorted version of Superman's personality. The first Bizarro was mindless, and Superman had to destroy him. Later ones thought they were Superman until they met the real Superman.

They are basically like an inverted Superman, cut from the same basic cloth but turned in a different direction. One of them thought he should be a hero like Superman is, but kept on messing up the job. He stole a large valueliess plastic diamond ring from a jewler, paid with a car's license plate "charge it", and gave it to Lois as an engagement ring.

A variant on the same introduction comes form Star Trek, with the evil parallel universe and the evil Spock. Again, it was the same basic cloth, but inverted. The evil Spock was almost exactly like Spock, but pursuing opposite ends.

Some people think we have twins out there somewhere. Perhaps in looks, perhaps in personality. I think the latter is more important, as personality is who we are. However, a bizarro personality is even more interesting. Odds are, you won't get along with that person if you meet them. You are lucky or wise if you recognize that person.

I once met my bizarro. He was dating a good friend of mine. The three of us went jogging together because she wanted me to approve of her relationship with my bizarro. I recognized him. Take all of my energy, strength, and motivation, and instead of applying it to the ends I apply it to, apply it to conformity. It rather freaked me out.

I told her that while he and I would never EVER get along, I approved of the relationship because he would take good care of her. I new enough to know that he had much in common with me.

She said that he and I had the same opinion of each other. I said he thinks he knows everything, she said he said that about me.

Now, meeting someone else's bizarro is even more interesting, especially if it is the bizarro of someone close to you. While the difference will set you against your own bizarro, the similarities will make you close to your friend's bizarro. All the underlying personality traits that attract you to the friend will attract you to the friend's bizarro.

Not only have I met my own bizarro, I have met a friend's bizarro.

As I was moving to the west coast, as I was leaving the military, I was jilted. I was supposed to get married and didn't because she left me and married another, shortly before she and I were to marry. She and I haven't spoken in years, and out of the blue she emails me.

I am firmly committed to my fiancee, but I realized shortly after reading the jilter's email that the two of them are bizarro to each other. Different backgrounds, but so many eerie similarities. Both of them dropped out of the military, for example, during their first year. I don't want to gove too many personal details, but the parallels are astounding. What can I say but "eerie".

I told my fiancee about the email, and that I had sent a polite reply, but I still feel wrong for even thinking about her now. The problem is, the reason I love one of them is the reason I loved the other. I feel like I'm cheating somehow.

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