Be my friend…Please!

If you are like me, you may have forty-three other people that share your name, two in your own city. It’s a bit odd.

It was bad enough years ago when I launched myself in to cyber space. I arrogantly assumed I was the only me (this was pre-global mode). I was cavalier enough to go out and invest in business cards made up with my soon to be launched website, www.karenloftus.com.

It wasn’t long before I realized I was not alone. Apparently, Karen Loftus, a realtor in New Jersey beat me to the name game, claiming the now, highly coveted www.KarenLoftus.com .

I was known at the time as an international comedian who was then traversing the globe doing comedy gigs. When friends tried to google me, they came upon a blonde and a New Jersey real estate site. They failed to see the funny and were immediately concerned. The emails flew in, "What happened to your tour?" "What’s up with the real estate?" "You don’t look like yourself." "Are you alright?"

I managed my way around that cyber snafu with crossed out business cards and a newly launched home of my own, my site at www.karenloftus.net. Looking back, that was easy. It was just the two of us… then.

As the years passed, more Karen Loftus’ have sprung up with reckless abandon. Apparently, they are everywhere. Who are these people? They’re sports writers, graphic artists and married Moms.

I’m a twin as it is. I’ve had to share my birthday and yearly celebrations with another one in my youth, but a name share with several strangers in to internet eternity?! It’s more than I can bear.

I really felt the depths of my irrelevance as I logged on to Facebook recently only to find 43 other unfamiliar Karen Loftus ‘staring back at me. I don’t know them, but the abundance of them and that redundant name has caused me to be bumped down to the bottom of the facebook pages.

I wondered with all of my international travel and my flurry of funny friends why I wasn’t getting more facebook requests. A friend of mine (a for real friend, in the real world) mentioned to me, "I tried to fiend you, but got bored after the first few pages." OMG! I’m not even worth a few flipped pages.

Okay, consider this my official shout out as I now feel the need to succeed on the facebook front. Good Morning America is Facebook-ing for God’s sakes. As my friends casually brag over a cocktail about their 1,000 + friends, I too want to whip in to a cavalier conversation, mentioning my new friendly additions.

So, if you have a minute and can comb through a few pages, I’m the Karen Loftus with the Travel and Adventure photo album. I’m from Los Angeles and my profile pic is a shot of my Dad and I . He met me at the Philly airport with an obligatory Philly pretzel in hand. He’s the one wearing the hat.

If you friend me, I can promise, I will return the friend favor. Come on! You know you want it. You too need all the friends you can get. You need to save face.

I’ll see you in cyberspace…friend!