Feeling Replaceable

In line with the mem'ries and nostalgic fuss
There's somethings I've wondered and pondered all week:
What is it that makes so int'restingly us?
And questioned if whether we're really unique.

I walked into Gerstein a little later than normal and headed to the round room on the second floor where I usually save a table for the Em, Peggy, and who ever else is around. Only, strangely enough, Em and Peggy were already there, sitting at the table. Funny, I thought. It's 9 am. Peggy NEVER gets here at 9 am. And Em was at home sleeping when I left. Huh? I did a double take. Yup, it was them alright. Peggy is still really skinny, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, hunched over her textbook and reading diligently. Emily is wearing a yellow Aeropostale hoodie with a monkey on front. But something was not right. It wasn't them. Looked like them, but let me tell you, despite all logic, it took me a triple take to realize it wasn't them. Sure, the odds were against me: a couple of chinese girls in Gerstein studying hard. But still, the resemblance was uncanny.

Which leads me to my thought of the morning: are we really all that unique? In a world full of 6 billion + people, how unique could we all possibly be? Take me for example. I always thought my name was so unique. Well, other than "sarah" because that name's way too popular (and funny enough, I'm the only one in OT6 engsci, and there weren't/aren't a huge surplus of "jennifer's" either...). But I always figured my last name was fairly unique. No other families in Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, or Brampton (the extent of our phone book). None in Markham, Toronto, Richmond Hill (Grandmother's phone book). So I Googled me. And there were a lot of "me's" out there. So not so unique. Granted, they were all white...but whatever. According to some people, I'm close enough.

So I wonder if I'm replaceable. When I'm gone from this university or from your lives due to the fact that hey, realistically, not everyone stays in contact...will I be remembered? Will I remember you? And how, and by what? Or will some Sara Hug come along, who's smarter, friendlier, more talented, and has a better blog, and sweep you all off your feet so you can't even remember me. She'll probably be OTn (n < 6) and had the guts to go through with Elec on her own.

So what is it that makes us so unique then?