My Doppleganger And My Secret Sharer

There are days when I wonder why I answer the telephone.

Just before dinner last night, the caller asks for Cam Hurst. Cameron Hurst grew up somewhere in Manitoba but doesn't, as far as I know, live in Manitoba any more. I'm listed as C. Hurst in the phone book, so I occasionally get calls for him. I explain that I'm Chris Hurst, I'm not related to Cameron Hurst and I don't know where he is. Oh, the caller said. Is Guy Merke there? he asked. Guy Merke had my telephone number before I did, but that was almost thirteen years ago. For the first five years, I regularly got calls for Guy, and the callers really didn't believe that I wasn't Guy. It made me wonder Guy did for a living. I explain that Guy hadn't the number etc. The caller said he was from the Manitoba Conservative Party. I can only assume that they bought some awful call lists. I wasn't very complimentary to their organization and hung up.

Why do I have a home phone number at all? Because I don't have a cell phone.