Who's Twin Do You Know?

Do you ever have those days where you see someone and you know their twin. Okay, maybe not literally. Let me tell you what I’m talking about.
The other day, there was a gal at work who had a beef about something, and she came back ranting and raving. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but I looked at her and was seriously terrified. Not because of what she was saying or doing, but because I have seen that behavior so many times before in someone else! Someone I know VERY well.
I’ve worked with this gal for quite a while and never thought she reminded me of anyone before. She’s a very easy going, lighthearted woman. (That’s not to say that I don’t know anyone else who is lighthearted and easy going. I’m just letting you know that I wouldn’t have guessed this behavior out of her.)
Her behavior wasn’t violent or even rude. It was mostly even workplace appropriate. It just reminded me so much of someone else that now I have a hard time looking at her and not seeing this other person. Maybe it was her hand motions, or the way her voice escalated and became short of breath, or the way her cheeks became splotchy. But that day, I was seriously traumatized.
So naturally, my head begins to spin with thoughts and conclusions as to why this is. And while my husband is the psychology major and has his master’s in counseling, I know only what I’ve observed from watching him, listening to him, and watching and analyzing other people.
So here is the unscientific, non-theory based, explanation of Rachel Rager.
Why was I so traumatized by this woman I work with simply because she reminded me of someone I know?
I think it may have been because I was tired so I relaxed my guard and she was able to penetrate my senses, triggering something in my brain that brought up old memories. And obviously those memories aren’t good. I think this probably happens more than we realize. Some of us may call it deja vu; although, that is sometimes considered something else entirely. And sometimes I think we get those feelings like something is familiar, or a positive or negative feeling regarding something and we simply can’t name it. But then there are those rare instances where we can.
Now I wonder which is worse….