What were you in a previous life?

There’s a question for you. The topic came up the other night as Mike and I were working on the house. He’s convinced he’s had a previous life in the Excalibur era. (How else would you explain all the swords and shields?) As for me, this is what I wrote in my book:

I’d been drawn to the West my whole life; as a kid my imaginary friends were cowboys and sheriffs. I often told people, proudly and with absolute certainty, that in a former life I was a saloon girl. It made total sense, given my childhood obsession with Bonanza and my comfort level as an adult in the tavern environment. Not to mention my passion for lipstick. Then a couple of years ago someone took me aside and told me, to my surprise, that those women were prostitutes. Although I remain quite certain of that past life, I now keep the admission to myself.

It sounds weird, but I really do believe I've lived before in the Wild West. When I arrived in Wyoming ten years ago, I had a definitely sense of being home.  Oh, Wyoming--I will visit you again someday, I swear.  I also wouldn’t be surprised if I were a Salem witch. Just a feeling; that probably ties in somehow with my fear of organized religion.

Ever wonder about those people who participate in Renaissance fairs (something Mike used to do) (!) and Civil War re-enactments?  I’ll be honest with you—I’ve always thought those folks are a bit… different. But maybe people who are comfortable in another era aren’t really oddballs; maybe they feel that way because of a familiarity with a past life. Dressing up in those clothes, speaking that way, and reliving battles… maybe it’s all stuff they’ve done before.

What do you think? Do you feel you’ve experienced past lives? What were you before you were you?