O.K.,
for those of you who are too disinterested
(or lazy)
to look up this word,
I will explain.

I don't remember where and when
I first ran into the term,
but it came to me
from a very famous German short story
by the title
"The Doppelganger".

I have not been able to find a translation,
although I have seen it in German
(in Germany, but of course).

The word means a "double".

As in your anti-self.

The other you.

The evil twin.

As an example,
I used to run into people in a neighboring town
who would ask me whether I had just been there
and spoken with them recently,
to which I reply,
no.

Then they explain to me
that there is another person
who looks EXACTLY like me,
and behaves EXACTLY like me,
but who is apparently not me.

I asked whether this person was doing evil,
as in my evil twin.

No, they always would reassure me,
much to my relief.

Many a psycho-drama is based
on this belief of other persons,
much like you,
but not you.

In the context in which we are dealing with this concept here,
we are speaking of trying to make contact
with a person who has suddenly turned into
an entire army of duplicates.

Which one is real?

And which is not?

I sure don't know.

I can only wait and wonder.

Now,
here is the problem with doppelgangers,
as I see it.

You think you have located the person
to whom you are trying to get a message.

But upon closer inspection
you find out that this is not the person at all,
but a dead ringer,
nonetheless.

After you deal with several of these
you lose all desire to continue doing this.

It is madness,
pure and simple.

Yet, I believe that I am called
to this very purpose.

And that I must bring the matter
to a conclusion
in a highly consecrated fashion.

Ouch!!

That sounds like the formula for
"totally nuts"
to me.

It is the irresisible force
banging hard up against
the immovable object.

Something simply will have to give,
sooner or later.

Yes?

No?

Maybe?

Hmmmmmmm ---

In the present case
there have been so many doppelgangers
at so many critical junctures of time and space
that I have been left in a continuous state of perplexity
as to whether and what to do.

I have been through more very strange life experiences
than I even care to think about,
but this one puts all the others to shame,
once and for all.

All I can do is live one day at a time
and wait until something becomes clear.

So, as you can see,
Doppelgangers are not a good thing,
except for entertainment value.

When trying to establish a reliable contact with someone,
these things do nothing but get in the way.

And that on a grand and cosmic scale,
I should say.

But, what are they?

What could they possibly be?

I have conversed with any number of them.

You cannot tell until you are within inches
that it is not who you think it is.

That is REALLY scary.

Then when you think you have made contact
you simply cannot ever be sure,
on your own.

But, so far as I am concerned,
I have always subscribed
to the old U.S. Mail motto of
"the mail MUST get through",
come rain or shine,
thunder or earthquake.

The message I have been sent with
will get delivered.

I am certain of that.

But what a waste in the meantime?

I don't know.

Maybe other things are happening
and taking place in the interim,
which need to happen
and take place
before being able to move forward.

Well, that's enough about that
for the moment.

Hope this gives some
(albeit limited)
illumination.

Some day I will be able to tell much more.

In the meantime,
I am forced by circumstance
to speak obliquely.

I will speak openly when I am able.

In the meantime,
we will do what we need to do
in order to get the job done.

And that "with style".

w/disconcerting love

vw

8:53 p.m
5-7-13
Tuesday
Ventura, California, USA