At breakfast at the Capital City Club today, I was surprised by the staff with this. The sheriff, who is on the Cap City board with me, was NOT there to have "Happy Birthday" sung to him. Ha.
Friday night, my wife and I were at a social event at the Capital City Club with my parents. Seeing Sheriff Leon Lott there, I went up to him and said, “Hey, twin. We’ve got another one coming up. We’re getting old, aren’t we?”
Long-time running joke. Leon and I were born on the same day, October 3, 1953.
When I got back to our table, my wife introduced a twist on this that I hadn’t heard before: “You two actually sort of look alike. Something in the shapes of your faces. Maybe…”
No, I said, indicating my mother sitting there. If we were separated at birth, she would certainly know… Not necessarily, my wife
Quick! Which twin is this?
said. Back then, women frequently weren’t conscious during childbirth. My mom, sitting across the table with her back to the amplified entertainment, didn’t say anything — presumably because she couldn’t hear the conversation. I could barely hear us myself.
Or… now that I think about it later, is there another explanation for her not responding?
In any case, I can understand how people could leap to such a conclusion. I’m sure that folks look at me and see a guy who, were he a cop, would be named “South Carolina’s Toughest Cop.” Twice. There’s just that certain rugged je ne sais quoi (memo to self: tough guys probably don’t say, “je ne sais quoi“) that we share.
The resemblance is so uncanny that I’ve doubled for him on stage. OK, maybe that’s not the reason, but it actually happened. When the Sheriff couldn’t make it for his cameo in the Workshop Theater production of “The Producers” back in 2009, I filled in for him. Really.
Anyway, on Saturday I got my annual card from Leon. I am so impressed by people who do that. I have enough trouble remembering to buy cards for my actual family. By that time, of course, it was too late to buy one and get it to him by Monday.
So this will have to do. Happy Birthday, Sheriff!
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My wife and I have the same birthday, June 27. We’re 5 years apart in age. Anytime we sign for a loan or do some other paperwork we are accussed of making a mistake with the birthdates. It does make it easier to remember.
Happy Birthday to you, too, Brad! I share your birth year of 1953. The older I get, the more I enjoy my life. Hope you feel the same.
Bet Leon is cuter in a blonde wig than you are, but there is a definite resemblance.
Leon is a treasure, and fellow Aikenite!Go Hornets!