Mr. Howard--Mystery continuuuuuesss (my Identity)

I just realized, again, that the teacher I was an assistant for in high school, whom I loved the most, had the last name "Howard".

I don't know if I blogged about that a long time ago or not. But if so, I just realized again, his name was Howard and there are Howards in my family. I never knew this or thought about it, back then.

He was my favorite teacher and I had him for Advanced Placement English my senior year. He liked me and I liked him and I worked for him as his assistant. I took 2 assistant positions--1 to be a teacher's assistant for Mr. Howard and the other to be a teacher's assistant for the kindergarten school (while I was still in high school myself).

I always felt like Mr. Howard valued what my abilities were and he liked my analysis of poetry. I did some of my best stuff but he always said I was an underacheiver and knew I could do more. It was in his class that I meditated on the sayings of Robert Frost, The Road Less Traveled.

I recited this poem in my mind, while in class, all the time. Daydreaming I'm sure, but thinking about what this poem meant.

I really don't know what his religious sentiments were and I didn't care. We got along great and he was about 50-something and I was 17. Having him as an instructor was a highlight of education for me. I felt inspired and challenged. He was more of an introvert and I was more of an extrovert--I talked his ear off. I would describe him as mild-mannered and wry.

So the interesting thing is, with all my Howard mysteries in my family, and then Mr. Howard as my teacher, and having had a curiousity about Edward Howard (CIA man gone to Russia), I was calling about getting some photos to prove who I am.

At this point I feel the U.S. needs to be upfront with me about someone else using my old passport. Or just being obnoxious. Of course they know who I am!

She said (the woman from the school), "All you need is a driver's license and ..." and I said, "Yeah, I know, I sent my birth certificate and driver's license, and they already had my old passport on file, even if it was stolen. But then they wanted 5 more proofs of my indentity and I sent it and they said it was good and then they asked for 5 MORE proofs going back 5 years or more!" Why the U.S. government needs or wants 10 photos of me, along with where I worked, went to school, and lived, is beyond me.

I'm going to have several photos from high school yearbooks and there are some from my junior high private Christian school too, so that should cover the bases.

They've already handprinted my entire arm and hands basically. They already analysed my DNA without my consent (and they thought, without my knowledge). What do they want next? A copy of my footprints from when I was a baby to compare with my adult feet? high instep means...? Non-U.S. citizen?

It's getting so weird, I wonder who I am myself sometimes, which is ridiculous. There is no doubt I was born to my mom and dad. But when you start wondering if there was a secret switch of babies at the private medical center, you know your imagination is working overtime.

If someone wants to know who I am, I think the geneaology records would be much more interesting. I mean, I am who I am! The only thing that's slightly interesting is some of the family folklore and connections.

I started looking up "famous disappearances" and "Disappearing persons" the other day. I found stuff about all kinds of people, including "the lost princes" who were heir to the throne before they were locked up in the tower. They were never confirmed dead. Both were redheads. AHA! (just kidding)

I'd sort of like to see my DNA analysis at this point, because I am wondering why there is a big deal about me too.

Do you know what? I read "Crime and Punishment" for Mr. Howards class (wink, wink). Dosteovesky from the Howie. I think he once asked me if I was Russian. With kind of a small smile and a twinkle. He always had twinkling eyes.