The Googlin’ Goddess Game
Jun 24th 2007
Karen HawkinsGoddess Grins
I have a confession to make: I google EVERYTHING. Words I don’t know, names of people I haven’t seen in years, dates that are important to me . . . if it can be written, I’ll google it.
One time, I even googled myself. That’s when I found out that Karen Hawkins is not only a romance author, but also . . .
1) Real Estate Mogul Karen Hawkins.
2) Organic Food Champion Karen Hawkins.
and 3) Sister Karen Hawkins, the nun.
Sometimes I wonder how I would like these Alternative Careers. Could I develop the skills and knowledge to be Organic Karen Hawkins? Handle the stress of a high pressure ever-changing real estate market like Mogul Karen Hawkins? Become . . . (gulp!) Sister Karen Hawkins?
So here’s the Googling Goddess Game:. Google your name and give us your top three Alternative Life Choices. Would you want these careers? Is there one that made you laugh? Or one that made you go “hmmm!”?
47 Comments »
47 Responses to “The Googlin’ Goddess Game”
DebMarlowe on 24 Jun 2007 at 10:02 am #
Fun!
There is a Deborah Marlowe, who is a voice over artist. That is one alternative career that I could definitely live with! Once in college, I was working at the desk of a computer lab–yes, I’m so old it was before every student had their own computer. One guy kept calling back over and over, for several days, asking trivial questions, and he finally confessed he was calling because he thought my voice was sexy. Um, okay. He’s the only one to have ever thought so, but I’ll take it where I can get it!
I think the movie/TV industry looks fascinating and incredibly stressful. I find it so interesting to think of how many hundreds of people labor behind the scenes to make those stories.
Karen Rose on 24 Jun 2007 at 10:20 am #
Fun! There are a few Karen Rose realtors, but the one that caught my eye was Karen Rose, FALCONER!!
Way cool. I once had a falcon land on my arm when I was visiting a manor house in Wales, UK. The falconer there picked me from teh audience b/c I had traveled the farthest to get there, lol. I was scared to death, this big bird just whooshed down and landed on my outstretched, leather-gloved arm.
But it was COOL. I could be a falconer.
AnnaSwede on 24 Jun 2007 at 11:04 am #
As far as I know there are two others with my name. One of them I don’t know much about, but the other one is a medical doctor. I actually met her when I was about 7 or 8 and had an ear infection. Meeting her kind of made it all better!
Anna
Kay on 24 Jun 2007 at 11:05 am #
What a great idea, Karen.
The other Fiona (Kay) Crawfords are an Equestrian, a photographer and an Austrilan olympic softball player.
I have aways loved horses, and used to ride a jumper (decades ago LOL)
Taking pictures is a hobby of mine. They’re not good enough to ever market. I would love to take a class someday.
The only thing “Olympic level” I could ever be is a reader—but they shortsightedly don’t have that as a category.
I googled other family memebers’ names. It is kind of creepy. Both of my (minor) children are there for school-& church-related stuff. I don’t think I like that. Mr.C is there quite a bit for professional and community stuff. We were all in there because of Mr. C’s mother’s obituary from last month. Even my parents are out there! That is just plain strange.
It really is amazing how much you can learn about someone online. Do people google people they date these days?
ladydawgfan on 24 Jun 2007 at 11:15 am #
Wow!! I had no idea that I was so successful in my life!! I am a classical voilinist, a fabulous nature photographer, a music teacher in a middle school, a pediatrician, an actor, a lawyer, a choir member, and a real estate agent to start out with. I am also the dean of several colleges, professors with doctorates at several others (and in the high sciences, no less!), and a philanthropist who cares for children with leukemia, homeless women, and a host of other charities. I am also a psychologist who teaches yoga (?).
Interesting that there are some actual similarities in my real life. I am an amateur photographer, I played the viola as a child, and I sing in my church choir. Things that make you go “Hmmmm.”
Claudia Dain on 24 Jun 2007 at 11:22 am #
You’re probably not going to believe this, but I’ve never googled my name before. Before this minute, that is.
You can find reviews on Google? I had no idea.
I went through 20 pages of Google and I was the only Claudia Dain. I can’t decide if that’s good or bad. Being a Google Virgin, you’ll have to tell me.
MizMacgyver on 24 Jun 2007 at 12:06 pm #
I think I want another name…Maybe I should try my maiden name. One of three options was very cool though, aside from being much younger my namesake is the Director of a dance studio. Apparently she is a wonderful dancer. I would love to be able to dance, as a kid I had dreams of being a dancer.
The other namesake is not so good. She was busted for trafficking in a Controlled Substance in the 2nd degree, Promoting Contraband in the 1st degree by complicity, Manufacturing Methamphetaine, Possession of Mariuana and drug paraphenalia and Receiving Stolen Property, I do NOT want to even be seen in her company let alone having her life.
The third mention of my name, (in a public outreach effort) was placed on the Stardust spacecraft (along with 999,999 others) which visited Comet Wild 2 in 2004.
I think I am going to Google my maiden name.
MizMacgyver on 24 Jun 2007 at 12:22 pm #
Okay, that wasn’t good either, my son however is a cardiologist and a lawyer among other things.
Dianna (going to bed now totally depressed because she has sucky names.)
dbrown3400 on 24 Jun 2007 at 12:40 pm #
Karen, I will challenge you to a googling contest. I not only google everything, I act upon some of the results. I will give an example after the results I found on Donna Brown.
First, I was surprised that I didn’t get more varied results on such a common name. When I was pregnant with my 28 yo, there were five pregnant Donna Browns going to my OB/GYN. Now I find a Canadian soprano who studied voice and piano in Ottawa and Montreal before going to Paris, an Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Associate Professor and a lecturer with multiple degrees in English and modern languages at SUNY/Buffalo. Whew.
I LOVE GOOGLING. An example. Besides moment to moment googling, I googled top 100 guitarists of all time and am downloading some of their music to make playlists. Guitarists I thought were rock turned out to be blues, etc. What fun for me. People at work have me check things on google for them. I wonder what is wrong with their computers, but, well? . . .
dbrown3400 on 24 Jun 2007 at 12:47 pm #
I’ve tried other search engines but either get insufficient answers or, in one case, a lewd answer.
Thanks for this blog, Karen.
Donna Brown, World famous mezzo-soprano
Keri Ford on 24 Jun 2007 at 12:50 pm #
Well, it turns out I’m Royality!!! WOO-HOO
My title: Orange County’s 2003 Gumbo Queen!!!
I’m not sure what state that’s in, but I think there’s one in New York and California. I wasn’t aware they ate Gumbo in those areas.
Other than that, I’m an Oakdale Police Sgt. and held 4.0 at Carl Albert State College and was a Co-Valedictorian (side note, it took me about 2 years before I convinced my mom that a C average was normal and she should be glad I’m not below.).
RachelG on 24 Jun 2007 at 12:57 pm #
I find it shocking that you all don’t google yourselves. The favorite other Rachel Gibson is a stunt woman. I’d like to meet her someday.
rachelg
Lismore on 24 Jun 2007 at 12:57 pm #
Oh wow! I’m young with no wrinkles and no gray hair!
Apparently I am also a high school cross country track star who set a state record in a 3 mile race.
I also found the real me…..boring…some chick who used to work in corporate America.
Fun post, thanks.
catslady on 24 Jun 2007 at 1:53 pm #
What a surprise! It never occured to me either since I’m not a writer. There aren’t any other me’s but there were pages of contests that I won or groups that I entered, etc. I guess in this day and age nothing is a secret lol.
Elora on 24 Jun 2007 at 1:57 pm #
Elora is a small village in Canada, a new portuguese beauty products company and also a baby in the movie “Willow” who would save the world. I would like to be a small village in Canada but would hate do save the world. I also wouldn’t like to be any sort of company. But then, Elora isn’t my real name. When I google my real name I find I’m a cientist working with electrical resistances in a lab, an art paintor or a museum director. Still rather be a small village in Canada.
Karen Hawkins on 24 Jun 2007 at 2:00 pm #
Heh! What a varied bunch or careers! Rachel, I hope you get to meet your stunt woman double.
I feel a little evil, teaching my procrastination habits to you all!
Sabrina Jeffries on 24 Jun 2007 at 2:26 pm #
I’m the same as Claudia. Under my pseudonym, all I get is myself. Under my married name, however, I get a secretary, a pediatrician, a realtor, and my favorite, someone who works for the Justice Dept.
Cool!
foreverdelayed on 24 Jun 2007 at 4:34 pm #
I am a hot model who resides in Texas, I didn’t know I had such great legs!
I have written a book about Lacebeadwork.
I am also a management consultant.
I rule.
Ellen Henson on 24 Jun 2007 at 5:08 pm #
It’s always a bit unnerving to discover other people with my name. I guess I feel like I should have been sending them annoying Christmas updates on what my family has been doing all year. Or maybe loan them a few bucks until they get back on their feet.
The first EH made me laugh out loud. It was a picture of some woman with a black belt. No, not Prada, a real martial arts black belt. What made me laugh was the discovery that Karen Rose was in the background of the picture. Check it out! http://molenda.us/photos/hoitsugan-seminars/DSC_3318-r.html
The second was of a Spiritual Healer who… (You can’t make this up)…used her experience as a caterer to help people find Nirvana. THIS COULD BE ME. I mean, how many times did I heal myself with a plate of food?? I think I have found my soul sister of the analogous world.
The final EH was a technology consultant. Should I mention that when my cell phone went off in church, my technical solution was to stomp on my purse while singing louder? Or maybe I should mention all the “flashing 12s” on every screen and clock in my home. Day light savings time….LOL….not in my world. I am forty minutes early for half the year and 20 minutes late for the rest.
Let me put it this way. I consider “Blogging” to be highly technical. Should I say more?
LOL
Heal thyself “Gs”
Ellen
Karen Hawkins on 24 Jun 2007 at 6:02 pm #
You guys are playing the Google Goddess Game like pros!
Deborah Marlowe, a voice over artist would be A Dream Job. You could work from home, too, and just ‘phone it in’ which is another plus!
Karen Rose, a falconer? WOW! And I thought a nun was unusual!
Anna, did meeting a dr with your name when you were little make you want to enter the medical field? I’d probably think about it, myself.
Kay, I googled the guy I’m dating now the very day we met. We were friends for a while before we started dating, but I was curious about him as soon as we met. Unfortunately, there was only reference to him and it was twelve years old. Not much help!
ladydawgfan, it seems there is a huge Success Gene associated with your name! Congrats!
Claudia, you’ve NEVER googled? La, child. Julia London and I are going to take you out for margaritas at Nationals and give you a good, hard Tech Talk.
(PS I’m taking the apple classes for my new imac — love them! Thanks for the rec!)
Karen Hawkins on 24 Jun 2007 at 6:15 pm #
MizM, I’m saddened to hear that one of your namesakes is not upholding your namesake ideals. Controlled substances? Sheesh! I bet she wasn’t BORN with that name, but married into it. You know how that goes … Ohhh, the stories I could tell you!
Donna B, oh, I’ll take your googling challenge and google you back! I loove to do it. Sometimes I just hit “Get Lucky” and roll around the interweb, peeking into this ‘n that. I love doing that. Someday, we’ll have a Google Off, although I think Rachel G just might whip us both.
Queen Keri, congrats on being the Gumbo Queen! Now THAT’S something to be proud of. I have a friend who was Cherry Blossom Princess once, but that’s about all the royalty I know.
Lismore, a track star? You must have great legs. Wtg, lady!
Elora, you cracked me up, longing to be a small village in Canada, although it DOES sound picturesque.
foreverd, you do indeed rule. ALL three of your Alternative Careers are awesome.
Karen Hawkins on 24 Jun 2007 at 6:20 pm #
Ellen, that’s so ODD to find Karen Rose in a picture when googling your name for tgb! Sort of makes you go “hm!” You also cracked me up with your story of stomping on your purse when your cell phone rang in church! I’ve been there, m’dear. When in doubt, stomp your feet and sing louder.
MizMacgyver on 24 Jun 2007 at 6:30 pm #
I re-grouped and googled my maiden name, spelled as it was on my birth certificate and came up with much better alternatives.
She was an actress, not my cup of tea, I am a shy person real time.
A research director for Parkland institute, wow, a smart one.
A still life artist, okay, now this is getting good. I would like to be an artist.
A reverend, uh, I don’t think that role would fit me well.
A lawyer, my BF said that would not be me, I don’t like to argue.
I think I will go with the artist under my maiden name or the dancer under my married name. I like the arts.
Karen Rose on 24 Jun 2007 at 6:30 pm #
I wish that was me, Ellen! I’m but a lowly yellow belt working on my blue. That black belt is a goal, far, far in my future! Plus, those gals were young.
Karen H - you are evil to teach us your procratinating skills.
Maggie Robinson on 24 Jun 2007 at 6:52 pm #
I don’t play the fiddle with the Westcutogo Ramblers, I’m not the published author of diet (!) and fitness(!!) books, and I have taken absolutely no Scientology courses. Sorry, Tom Cruise!
dbrown3400 on 24 Jun 2007 at 7:38 pm #
I just googled “karen hawkins google blog” and there you were!
You’re on. And Rachel, too.
db
Darla on 24 Jun 2007 at 8:05 pm #
I’ve got a choice of three…the first being some kind of court case that has my name listed for turning off the pay telephone privledges…I think I’ll skip that one…didn’t much understand all the legal mumbo jumbo for that listing!
Next, my name is a captain with the Kentucky Jailers. Don’t think I’d like that much either.
The last is a championship Barrell Racer…quite a few mentions of that one, so I think I’d rather be that! Besides I love horses. LOL
Kelly Ann on 24 Jun 2007 at 8:45 pm #
Oh my gosh, I was married yesterday in New York to Andrew Friendly. He is obviously very “Friendy” because I’ve never met him. I also am the head of the womans golf team @ the Univ. of Iowa & I was a guest star on the the Facts of Life.
Yes, I’ve lead a full life according to google! What fun, Thanks. I can’t believe I have never done that before.
Julia London on 24 Jun 2007 at 10:00 pm #
julie london was a famous singer in my mom’s era. She is long dead and buried and still gets more google hits than me
B.E. Sanderson on 24 Jun 2007 at 11:04 pm #
The only other B.E. Sanderson name is attached to a bunch of scientific papers, so that would probably be really cool. If I couldn’t be a writer, I’d love to be a scientist. =o)
KMB25 on 24 Jun 2007 at 11:18 pm #
Ok, so under my maiden name I’m:
1) my own website appears (fancy that!)
2)A worker at the Safe Driving Institute Inc. and
3)An Organist and Music Director at a church in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Of course these are according to google! And oddly enough, the woman who is the organist contacted me through email a few years ago as she had apparently googled her own name and found me! (It was a little weird, I’ll admit).
Under my married name (since I wasn’t sure which one to do….)
I’m:
1) A relatively famous movie producer (this might explain why I can’t change my professional website to my married name!)
2)A Creative and Experienced Event Planner at Impeccable Events…interesting!
3)a Counselor to people who have drug and alcohol addictions.
This is definitely eye-opening!
~Kim
Audrey on 25 Jun 2007 at 1:10 am #
Nobody else has my name. My real name is Audrey Swap, and apparently plenty of Audreys swap things with other people (one of these I really didn’t need to know about), but no exact name matches.
Now in my maiden name, I’m a heck of a curler, a heck of a soccer player, a heck of an accountant…..
Kasey on 25 Jun 2007 at 8:14 am #
I think I am the only one with my full name. I couldn’t find anyone else with my first and last name.
cail on 25 Jun 2007 at 8:30 am #
I am the one and only. Even if I just do my first name, I’m usually the only one who pops up. There was a character in a Christian Romance with my name. Guess thats what happens when you have a very unusual Scots Gallic name…
cail on 25 Jun 2007 at 8:31 am #
Oh, and just my last name, quite a few of my own relatives pop up, amongst other individuals.
lillipilli1978 on 25 Jun 2007 at 8:44 am #
Ha! no-one EVER has the same name as me, my first name’s Chinese, “Lian” so that’s uncommon enough, and my surname’s invented. When my great-grandad came to Australia from China immigration wasn’t too fussy about proper record keeping, his first name was Hing Chi (Meaning “Special Flower”), and his surname was Chung, but the Chinese reverse the order, so when asked his name (”Chung Hing-Chi”) he went into the books as “John Hingee” Ergo, any “Hingee’s” out there are part of the clan. So, when I google myself all I get are cross-country fun-run results from 1998, and a reference to how my Dad’s house burnt down in 2003.
Susan K on 25 Jun 2007 at 8:46 am #
There was one other me. An actress from 1959. Other than that my future mother-in-laws obituary came up with my name in it. And then comments I’d left on authors websites.
Caren Crane on 25 Jun 2007 at 8:59 am #
I love Googling myself - um, don’t let that get around. I appear billions of times under both my maiden and married names. Yes, I get around! Under my maiden name, I am also:
1. The mother of a couple of fine students in the St. Maries Joint School District in St Maries, Idaho.
2. An OB/GYN who does cool research in Flower Mound, Texas
3. Someone who only appears in conjunction with the Coltrane family of Georgia on a genealogy website (though she’s mentioned a lot over there)
Under my married name, the only other woman who pops up is German and breeds a rare type of guinea pig called the Rexe. Which is freakish, but kind of cool.
I could totally get into being an OB/GYN, or any other sort of doctor. I rather envy that Caren Crane! Oh, and all the Caren Crane’s were born that way and didn’t marry into it.
Karen Hawkins on 25 Jun 2007 at 10:44 am #
Kelly Ann, congrats on getting married (in your alternative life, that is!).
My maiden name used to be Smith, so I applaud all of you who have no name matches — it means you’re one of a kind and that’s neat in itself. I often felt very John Average Smith because of my Smith name. Not fun at all.
Audrey, I looove curling! Suzie E and I were strangely fascinated by it during the last winter olympics. We don’t know why, but we both want a curling stone just to say we have one.
Lian, that’s a neat story about your family name. Very cool!
Susan K, had you heard of that actress before? Maybe your parents were film noir fans and named you after her? Or not?
And Caren, guinea pigs and ob/gyns? What a spectrum!
SuzyQ on 25 Jun 2007 at 12:06 pm #
I am the one and only. I did get a hit under my maiden name - a regional manager for library services.
bonnieblue on 25 Jun 2007 at 5:36 pm #
I’ve lurked a bit on this site and decided I must jump in on the ‘google’ topic…it’s so much fun! Whenever someone says something like “why is the sky blue”, I’m the person who turns to my trusty “google” and looks it up and makes everyone roll their eyes.
As Bonnie B. Butler, I’m the deceased daughter of rather famous literary characters mentioned very recently on this site. As Bonnie Butler, I am a realtor, a mayor, a poet, a potter and a former nightclub dancer.
I laugh at the thought of being a poet- having to write poetry was the only time I despised English class…well, that and diagraming sentences. I always admired those who could write clever haikus and lovely sonnets…I was a dunce at it. If I had my choice, I think I’d like to be the former nightclub dancer…of the classiest kind of course.
I also found that there is a Bonnie Butler Way in NC and a Bonnie Dr in Butler, PA!
Karen Hawkins on 25 Jun 2007 at 5:47 pm #
Suzy Q, I always identify with librarians. I would loooove to be surrounded by all of those books, all of that time.
And Bonnie, welcome to tgb! Glad you delurked to play.
Sounds like your alternative career choices are wide and varied. Like you . . . I think I’d like to try the nightclub dancer. We’d assume, of course, that I’d have the body to go with it! Ahhh, the power of imagination!
TheNightPoet on 25 Jun 2007 at 9:35 pm #
I could only find one thing different when googling my name. It was a president of campus housing council. lol The rest had either my first or last name, but not both of them together. I did find a couple things on me that I’ve done, like when I graduated high school and stuff like that, but that was it. I have a unique name.
Andrea
Atomic on 25 Jun 2007 at 10:03 pm #
Atomic Ho.
-An element called “Holmium”
-What the Heck is an “Atomic Hooligan”?
-And last, a super hero. =P
I kid you not, ladies.
That is indeed my real name.
You see, my Grandfather had a great sense of humor.
amy1242 on 26 Jun 2007 at 7:24 am #
Coming in late to the game (was out of town and now bogged down with missed life at home). I am the Second Assistant Director on the Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End. I actually knew this after seeing the movie and my name came down on the screen in BIG, BOLD print. My kids said, “Mom, why is your name in this movie?” Hmm, guess I’m famous. I’m also an author of the book Di pa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master. Who knew!? Filmography and books. Yeah me!
Kathy on 26 Jun 2007 at 7:49 am #
I am the Goddess of Avalon. A writer. Own an ad company.
Very interesting.
TinaLouiseF on 26 Jun 2007 at 8:24 pm #
I’m late again.
Other than myself, there is a Pharmacy Technician in Oklahoma.
We do have different middle names.