As every good Millennial, I learned a long time ago how to Google myself to make sure that anyone else with my name wasn't reeking havoc somewhere that I might have to explain.
Even with a last name such as mine, there were a smattering of other people who had my name, or some variation of it.
There is one, however, that I have felt a kinship with, even if we've never even spoken.
Maybe it was that she seemed (based on some searches) has the same middle initial as me. Maybe it was because we graduated high school in the same year and therefore were roughly the same age. Maybe it was because she went to college and did some writing (for her school's newspaper).
For a while, if you just Googled my name, she'd come up as the first few options. Which was fine by me -- she always seemed to be doing well. Weirdly, her success in life seemed to make me look good by proxy, just by sharing a name.
But now that I'm married and have a truly unique name (since I just added Brett's onto mine, making it a double surname), I'm the only one that comes up. I don't have to see what comes up when people Google my name, because I know it's only going to be me.
So, goodbye, other Samantha Alleman. I don't know you at all, but I still feel a little sad from this goodbye.