Real Kato Blog: Happy Birthday, Amy and Betsy

To my favorite twins of all time.

Amy and Betsy were high school friends of mine, theater geeks like the rest of us. Their birthday was May 5th, so I wanted to wish them a happy birthday, though it's likely they'll never even see this article.

I have to admit, I had a little bit of a crush on Amy. And Betsy. By now you're probably thinking that I've been in love with every single girl I've ever met in my life, and you wouldn't be far from the truth. I loves the ladies, true dat.

This was a pencil sketch I drew of Amy, during my senior year of high school.

When I showed it to my friend Matt, he started singing "Infatuation" by Rod Stewart, which infuriated me because not only was it embarrassing to be called out like that, but he was singing ROD FUCKING STEWART, and I HATE that guy.

It would be facetious to say that this was also a picture of Betsy. Actually, I generally had no trouble telling the two of them apart, even when Betsy didn't wear her glasses. They each had their own way about them, certain mannerisms that gave them away.

In high school, and later in college, I always tried to remember their birthdays, with cards or flowers or little presents, and I always made sure to acknowledge them individually instead of as a pair. Remembering people's birthdays was all part of the character I played, the character that was ME. We all do that, right? We build up a little persona that we want to be, and we act in that role, and eventually that becomes who we really are. There's a whole philosophical debate that could be had here, about whether people have an innate personality, or if people are defined by their actions. As an existentialist, I believe the latter idea.

Just today, a friend of mine observed that my "shtick" was to be the Nice Guy, the sort of person who remembers your birthday, or the sort of person who secretly follows you to make sure you got home okay after an evening out. And yep, I guess that's true. Now sometimes people have accused me of being disingenuous, as if this Nice Guy thing was just an act, and I was somehow hiding my True Self. Sometimes I wish that were true, because it's actually difficult and unrewarding being nice all the time. How do people manage to make themselves insensitive and self-centered? And why do those people end up being married?

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Posted by Ken in: life

Comments

Comment #1 from Jen (Guest)
2005 May 6 - 8:57 am : #

You know what, Ken? There is no way that I would think that was a picture of Betsy. It is definitely Amy. I always thought that they looked quite different. I'm impressed with your ability to capture it!

Comment #2 from Nicholas (Guest)
2005 May 6 - 9:13 am : #

Here is a saying I like to use. "I'm getting in touch with my inner A-hole."

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