How I Met Your Mother, Doppelgangers and Bob Vila
I’m just going to assume that you love the awesome TV hit, How I Met Your Mother (heretofore referred to as HIMYM ). How can you not? And, working under that assumption, you are undoubtedly aware of one of the very best episodes that revolves around doppelgängers. You can refresh your memory here . Did I not tell you HIMYM is awesome?
I find the whole concept of doppelgängers fascinating. We’ve all seen someone in our daily travels that jumps out at us because they look identical to someone else we know. It can be pretty eerie actually. I’ve called a few friends and family members over the years to tell them that they have a twin walking around in whatever town it happens to be. The funny thing about most doppelgängers is that, given the opportunity to put the two individuals together, chances are, in real time, the similarities would be less obvious. The unique effect of doppelgängers is reliant on our memory’s picture of what the other person looks like. And, quite often, our memory gets a bit fuzzy when in the midst of a doppelgänger revelation. Usually.
And then there is Hot Water 911‘s president, Tony Scimeca. Tony has been in the mechanical trades for all of his adult life. He has been found on rehab project sites, on new construction sites and in the construction check out line of many big box stores. If Tony had a dollar for every time someone asked him if he was Bob Vila, well, let’s just say the US economy would be in a different situation right now. Tony’s doppelgänger is Bob Vila…or maybe Bob Vila’s doppelgänger is Tony Scimeca. Tony had the honor of meeting the very talented Bob Vila a number of years ago at a trade show and Mr. Vila was kind enough to chat with Tony and allow their picture to be taken together.
And, while Tony still gets told from time to time that he is the spitting image of Bob Vila and he politely nods his head and affirms that he has heard this a time or two in his life, for the most part, life goes on. Until last week… while in a store that Bob Vila promotes. There in the back room of said store was a life size cardboard cutout of …you guessed it…Bob Vila. People in the store were laughing at how closely Tony and Mr. Vila resembled each other. Pictures were requested. Pictures were taken. Well….you be the judge. Do we have a doppelgänger winner here?
