The Change - Part 1

I woke up yesterday and something wasn't right. Have you ever had that feeling? You could tell that something was off, but you just couldn't place your finger on what it was? Well that is how I woke up feeling yesterday. I just laid in bed wondering what it could be that was different. My bed was the same; my room was the same. My phone was the same; my fan was the same. And yet, I just knew something wasn't the way it was when I went to sleep the night before.

​The rest of the day was spent trying to figure out what was different, but with no success. I still drove the same car and lived in the same house. I had the same job at the same company that I've been with for years. From what I could tell, I couldn't tell at all. It stayed with me for the rest of the day and I kept checking just what was different to no avail. I went to bed and somehow was able to fall asleep even with that gnawing at my mind.

​And then I woke up today. Something was definitely different. It wasn't just a feeling, though. I knew that something wasn't right. Somehow I was able to focus enough to get ready to go to work. I just have to figure out what isn't the same. The drive into the office was the same as it's always been and I parked in the same assigned space I always do. I took the elevator to the same floor I've always gotten off at. I said “Good morning.” to Julianne, the Receptionist, like I always do. I can't seem to get started on any actual work, however. That's when I finally noticed the change.

It was an accident that I even noticed. I had taken my I.D. card from my jacket and placed it on my desk. While I was wracking my brain trying to figure out why I was feeling the way I did, I happened to glance down and notice something different than it should have been. The identification card was my own and I was the person in the picture, but the name said “Howard C. Cartwright”. My middle name is Brett and always has been. Why had I never noticed the error on the card? I've had this same one for years.

My next step was going to Human Resources and getting a new card made. Had this really been what was causing me such worry the past couple of days? Well, no. It wasn't. You see, when I spoke with HR about the issue, they seemed to be as confused as I was. The ladies exact response was “Your card seems to be in order, Mr. Cartwright.” But I knew it wasn't right; my middle name was Brett not Curtis, like she claimed. I didn't put up much of a fight, since she had checked the database and that's what showed up. I could only guess that it was put in wrong initially, all those years back, and I just never noticed.

Here I am at home again, wondering if that was really the reason I felt so...off. Well, it is, to be honest. You see, my mind was so focused on what had occurred earlier in the day that I ended up running a stop sign and getting pulled over. I handed the Officer my license, and ended up with a small ticket. But when he handed the license back, I took a glance at it before putting it back in my wallet. It said “Howard Curtis Cartwright” on the name portion.

​My middle name isn't Curtis, it's Brett. It always has been, I swear. But my work I.D., my Driver's License, and even my birth certificate all say Curtis on them now. I have no clue what to do or who to tell. Who would even believe me? Everything I have with my name on it has “C.” as the middle initial. I feel like I'm going crazy. I'll try and sort this all out tomorrow.

But I feel like something else has changed...

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