Mistaken Identity?

OK. These are my guys.

Front row: Son-in-law Zach and oldest son Mike

Back Row: John on the left, Jim and the right..

John and Jim are two years apart. John is 22. Jim is 20. Having two sons who were always together and each with a name that starts with "J" showed some lack of foresight on my part. Doesn't matter. I love the saints they're named after and I would name them the same names again. John Paul and James Anthony.

However.... I often open my mouth and the wrong "J" name comes out. They know this. And all their lives they have answered to either name, pretty much, if it's obvious which son I'm talking to. Personally, I don't think they look that much alike. But I know they do resemble each other because so many people confuse them. John is the pianist. Jim studies Philosophy. But Jim has been complimented so many times on his piano playing that he no longer asks people if they're thinking of his brother. He just says "thank you, " and passes the compliment on to his brother when he sees him.

Over Thanksgiving, because of everyone at home, we had a lot of reshuffling of sleeping arrangements. John had been out with friends one evening and I had not remembered hearing him come home. So at about 7:00AM I woke up and thought I'd just check to see if John was home. I went into his room and saw that at least someone was sleeping in his bed.

"John?" I asked softly. No answer. I went up to the bed. Mind you, the room was dark. "John?" I asked again. "No, I'm Jim." At this point he had himself up on his elbow. It did not sound like Jim. It sounded like John. He did not look like Jim. He looked like John. I said again, "You're Jim??" "Yeah, I'm Jim," came the answer. "You're Jim, not John?" I asked again, feeling kind of silly. Puzzled, I said, "You're Jim in John's bed?" The answer was "No, I'm Jim in Jim's bed." I thought, OK. Whatever. The room was quite dark. Still, I thought what is wrong with me. Even in the dark I ought to know which son I'm talking to.

Shortly after that I went into the basement for something. There was Jim asleep on the single bed we have down there!!! I said, "You didn't just come down here, did you?" Nope.

When John came down for breakfast I asked if he remembered talking to me at about 7:00 in the morning. He had no recollection of our conversation. I told him what he had said. "You repeatedly told me that you were Jim, not John!!!" He claimed I must have had the names mixed up. Nope. It was not me. I know that because I was very purposefully trying to determine which guy it was.

I think I get a pass now for any future occasions when the wrong "J" name may come out of my mouth. Too funny. Yeah, I get the pass.