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By Marilyn Baron
The other day I was “Googling” an author who wrote a book featured in a PBS program my husband and I were watching on TV. Then I did something I had never done before. I decided to Google myself. I had no idea what I’d find. But what I did find surprised me. Apparently, I am not alone.
There are other Marilyn Barons out there. For example, there’s a Marilyn Baron with “35 + years in the sanitary sewer manhole rehabilitation industry selling specialty coatings/liners and trenchless solutions to federal, state and local governments.” Yowie Gazowie!
Then there’s the Marilyn Baron from Somerville, N.J., who is in Substance Abuse Counseling/Drug Counseling and Social Work.
Then there is Marilyn Barron with Molson Coors Brewing Company.
Then, next to the picture of me and my Dopelgängers, is an image of Marilyn Monroe. Hey, I’m not complaining.
Then there’s me, Author Marilyn Baron, TWB Press, Owner, Baron Communications, Inc . and PRO member of Romance Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers. There was information about my humorous, supernatural angel e-short stories with TWB Press and my new novel, The Edger, which I cowrote with my sister. Then there were some Petit Fours and Hot Tamales posts and my Face Book and Linked In sites.
Suddenly, another Marilyn Baron caught my eye. A Marilyn Barron (spelled with two r’s) Obituary in The New York Times. This Marilyn Barron was from Far Rockaway, NY. For a moment, I just sat there. Confronted with my own mortality, I didn’t want to delve any further. The next morning, I went back to try to find out more about this particular Marilyn Barron who is no longer with us.
Turns out, judging by the tributes her friends posted in her online guest book, she was a wonderful woman and a beloved member of her community. She passed away on March 11, 2012 at age 88.
“In the Eighties she organized the residents of Charlesbank to convert a commercial apartment building into a limited equity cooperative corporation. That makes possible for many of us today high quality affordable living in Boston’s brain corridor. “
“Marilyn was feisty and independent and a feminist long before feminism became prevalent. She was a world traveler and active in the community and as an alumna of Wellesley College.”
“Memories of Marilyn make me smile. I will miss her ‘energizer bunny-ness,’ her dapper appearance, her brilliant mind, her generosity of spirit and even more, her courage and tenacity to stay connected, active and vibrant long after her vision and mobility became so compromised.”
I only hope people have half the nice things to say about me as they did about the other Marilyn when my time comes.
Rest in peace, Marilyn Barron.
I recommend you try Googling yourself. It’s a sobering, but interesting experience. Have you ever tried Googling yourself? What did you find?
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by Marilyn Baron
Marilyn,
What a cool post. I have googled myself. My Susan Carlisle persona doesn’t have as much competition as my Susan May one does. Thankfully my biggest competition is a young singer/actress. She is very pretty. I hope she isn’t disappointed when she is confused for me. Susan May Warren is another writer who always shows up. I don’t mind being associated with her at all. Googling yourself is fun.
Funny and cool post, Marilyn. I’m glad you found the last Marilyn Barron. She sounds very inspiring.
Okay, you made me go and google my name (actually I yahooed it, but I won’t quibble). Anyway, the first several pages were all about me and my books. Website, blog, articles on PFHT. That’s very flattering. Then there’s a Lindsey Lanier who works for Universal Music Publishing. Another creative! Then there was a link about how to optimize my website. I got kind of lost on that one. Then I found a family history database with a lot of folks with the same last name. Wow, you could spend a whole day doing this.
Susan,
That’s interesting about the singer/Actress. Sort of like me and Marilyn Monroe. It is amazing what you find out there. The other day my husband googled me and tons of former blog posts came up. He said did you write this and did you write this? Turns out I did write all those posts I’d forgotten about. Pages and pages of them.
Linsey,
Cool that there are other creative Linseys out there. Actually, I yahooed myself but it’s easier to say I googled myself. Thanks for commenting.
Wow, what diverse Marilyns there are. I still think you are the most unique
I have googled myself and I come up at the top of the listings and hold several spots. The other Debbie Kaufmans range from dog trainers to sports announcers. Only one gives me pause, and that’s because I’m concerned people might mistake us. Another Debbie Kaufman is a very vocal, and sometimes strident presence on the web discussing Baptist doctrinal issues. I’ve had her followers show up on my website and send me messages thinking she’d suddenly gone to writing romance! Poor girl, she probably gets the same!
Yes, I have googled myself. Between my blogging and reviewing, my piano teaching business, and my Etsy store, I dominate “Pam Asberry.” There are a few other “Pamela Asberrys’ though, including a corrections officer in Jacksonville, FL and an Asian medical doctor somewhere in the midwest. Which is interesting because I always thought I would use my full name on my book covers when I am published. (Did you note the optimism there?) Maybe I need to rethink that. Fun post, Marilyn!
Debbie,
Thanks for the compliment. Dog trainers and sports announcers? Too funny. I prefer the wonderful Debbie you are. It is neat to learn about other people who share our names.
Pam,
Glad you dominate the Asberry references. A corrections officer? This is really fun. Thanks for commenting.
I’ve Googled my name and there’s another Sandra Elzie (can you believe it!??) The other Sandra Elzie lives in Chicago and has a criminal record. That’s all I want or need to know!!! Yikes!!!
Sandra,
I can’t believe the other Sandra Elzie has a criminal record. Okay, I think you’re the winner.
Fun, Marilyn! I thoroughly enjoyed your post! Yep, Googled Brenda and didn’t get much about me, but low-and-behold, when I Googled Maxine, there I was, as an author, no less! Thanks.
Very interesting, Marilyn. At least there’s someone with your name you can admire.
For the longer version of my name, there’s a younger, sexy female, with long, dark hair & a nose ring. With her looks and me being a romance writer, we’d make quite a combination. LOL
Wow Marilyn,
You always write such mind provoking posts. I’m sure your interest must have grown as the other Marilyns came up. There’s a theory (I’ve heard somewhere) that there are at least 4 other people who look exactly like you in the world. Now, wouldn’t it be awesome to find those other 4?
And then… if you found them… what would you do? Hmm……
Yay, Maxine. You’re an author. Thanks for commenting.
Sia,
Interesting combination.
Anju,
I always heard the everyone had a twin somewhere but not four people who look like you. I don’t think any of these Marilyn’s look like me. Although it would be nice to look like Marilyn Monroe. Thanks for commenting. If I went looking for my double and found her, that would make a good book.
Yep, I’ve googled myself before. I do fairly often, just checking to see the differences over time. It wasn’t always the case, but I dominate the Annie Rayburn first page and most of pages 2-5.
Annie has had more publishing success than Carol Burnside. As myself, I still dominate the first page of results, but the next few pages has other CB’s popping up from other states. One result from the white pages says there’s 39 Carol Burnside’s in the US. Wowzer!
Thirty-nine Carol Burnsides? Well, that’s not a bad thing. But there’s only one you.
This is great, Marilyn! I never thought about what I would do if I found a post about someone with my name passing away. You really got me thinking. It would be kind of odd to consider life without you in it.
I googled myself and found I’ve got a pretty good presences. I found comments on blog posts that I forgot I had even posted.
I read pages of things I’ve done, people I’ve interviewed, artilces I’ve written. Then, I found it.
“Cigar and Smokeshop Employee Stabbed During Robbery”
There wasn’t much information listed. I think I’m going to have to check that out again tomorrow to make certain I’m okay.
Thanks for a fun exercise, Marilyn! Loved it.
Tami
Tami,
Thanks for saying that. I hope that cigar and smokeshop employee story has a happy ending. Glad you enjoyed the post. I enjoyed seeing you at the GRW meeting today.