Whats In A Name?
|
|
My cousin boasts five names and I confess that when I was younger that irritated me enormously. Worse than that, my sole middle name is Norman, just as my father's was before me, and his father before him. It didn't seem to do them any harm, lugging round such a tag all their lives, though I'd prefer not to have to.
I mean, can you name a famous film star or sportsman named Norman? I can't. I always wanted to be called Tempest, or Tyrone, or Troy, or even Trigger, but certainly not Norman. There have been famous Norman's of course. Norman Schwartzkopf, army general, Norman Tebbitt, the British Cabinet Minister, who always appeared in public as if he had a rotting fish adjacent to his nostrils. He was one of Mrs Thatcher's staunchest sidekicks, until he was blown out of his bed in the Brighton bombing atrocity. Prior to that he was more famous for telling the nation's unemployed to "get on yer bike" and find work.
Of course William the Conqueror was a Norman, but he wasn't actually called Norman, he wasn't Norman the Norman, but he did invade and conquer Britain in 1066 and slay King Harold with an apple in his eye, or was it an arrow? I forget now, for it was so long ago. But either way, the new King Willie, as he was known to the locals, and much worse than that behind his back by the conquered, never once considered changing his name to Norman. No surprise there then.
But back to my cousin. Worse even than the fact he had five names, but that one of them was St. John. Saint John! How could anyone compete with a saint in the family? And oddly his mother would sometimes use that name in public. She would come into the yard and yell, "Come in for your dinner Saint John," except she didn't say Saint John, she pronounced it Sinjun, as if to rhyme with Injun, and for some reason that riled me all the more. It's surprising how riled you can become when you're eight.
Nowadays of course I'd probably choose to be called Tiger or Tyson. It's the "T" thing, "T" for Tough. I guess the ideal name would be to be called Tempest, Tyrone, Troy, Tiger, Tyson. How much Testosterone could you handle?
I suppose it could be worse. I could have been christened Hilary, or Leslie, or Vivian, boy's names all, of a kind. Perhaps Norman isn't so bad after all, though I've successfully kept it under wraps, till now. I even kept it secret from the missus, and for years she was convinced my middle name was Nebuchannezzar, I kid you not. It was only at the critical moment that she discovered I was a Norman, and she almost wet herself on discovering the news, a not untypical reaction. It could have been embarrassing too, with the crowd gathered there.
And then there's that business of being called Davis Love the Third, or Grover Wilson the Fourth, as if they are mediaeval kings. What is that all that about? Grandma comes in and says, "There's a package for you Grover." And four different people step forward and say, "Thanks grandma." I think not.
So what's in a name? Does it really matter if we are called Horace or Hector, or River or Raymond, or Butch or Basil? Well of course it does! To boys. You bet it does.
I don't use my middle name in my byline, you might have noticed that, I still keep it firmly under wraps whenever I can, I sometimes even call myself Nathan, if I'm pushed, and few people know that I am a Norman. It's a secret, just between you and me, and you won't tell anyone, will you?
Copyright David Carter 2005. Reproduced with permission.
David Carter writes for numerous papers and web sites. He also runs a holiday cottage website, http://www.pebblebeachmedia.co.uk where you can access over 7,000 cottages, apartments and villas worldwide. You can contact David on any matter at supalife@aol.com
|
|
|
How Not To Motivate Your Children And Students
Chaim Ginott was a schoolteacher whose ideas and observations helped to bring about a near revolution in the way teachers interact with their young charges. He later practiced as a psychologist.
The phone rang, he relates in one of his books, early on a Monday following Thanksgiving weekend. The woman on the line was clearly very agitated.
"Try and figure this out, if you can!" she pleaded.
"There we were in the car, the whole family. We drove four hundred miles, from Pittsburgh to New York. In the back of the car, little Ivan behaved like an angel, quiet and deep inthought..
"I said to myself, 'He deserves some praise.'
"Just as we entered the Lincoln Tunnel, I turned to him and said: 'You're such a good boy, Ivan. I'm proud of you.'
"A minute later, the sky fell on us..
"Ivan pulled out an ashtray ...(related: Parenting)
5 Steps To Raising An Optimistic Child
I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie who suffered from severe depression. Julie believed she was a total failure and would never be able to change anything in her life. Julie also felt all her shortcomings were her own fault.Where, I ask myself, did such a young person ac...(related: Parenting)
Fundraising For Your Preschool Or Daycare Center
Most day cares are non-profit organizations that must operate within a tight budget that covers the costs of facilities, staff and all of the equipment and materials for operating a quality and stimulating environment for children. It's a balancing act with lit...(related: Parenting)
Diana, Princess Of Whales
Younger generations unfortunately will not understand how larger than life Diana really was and it would be difficult to describe. If you will read the book about her or go buy the audiotape you can play it for your children. Even having shared part of the human history with her in this period, I learned quite a bit about the real Diana and all the good she bought to the world. You will learn more and be able to pass on a true account of a larger than life character of the human endeavor. So I recommend to you:"DIANA-Princess of Whales, Queen of Hearts" By Geoffrey ...(related: Parenting)
What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?
Q. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"A. "Something that hasn't been invented yet."Most of us were brought up to study hard, get good grades, choose a "practical" college major, and strive for a "good job."Talk to a stranded midlife career-changer and you realize the game has changed. Yesterday's rules prepared us to be passengers on a large ocean liner that promised a smooth voyage. Today we realize that ocean liner turned out to be the Titanic and we need to keep ourselves afloat on...(related: Parenting)
Child Discipline - Be Consistent With Your Child
The biggest complaint you hear from parents about their children is "they don't listen to me and I have tried everything"Then when you start talking, you find out that parents give in at the end because it is just too exhausting to be consistent.For example--you ...(related: Parenting)
Parenting Your Teenager: When Is It Ok To Quit?
Q. My daughter is a junior in high school and has played an instrument and/or played in band all her life. Now all of a sudden she wants to quit lessons and quit band. Is this normal or a warning sign of something bad? Should we let her quit?A. There are times when wanting to drop something that has been a big part of your life can indicate a problem in need of immediate attention. If there are any other signs that your daughter might be depressed or using drugs, then you will want to get her two appointments - one with her doctor and one with a family counselor who works with teenagers.If she's not depressed and/or doing drugs, then dropping an instrument and band may be a decision that she is ready to make. Certainly she is old enough to mak...(related: Parenting)
Let Your Children Name The New Baby
Choosing a baby name is an important job, so make your children feel important by letting them help you name the new baby. After all, you're not the only one who's having a baby - your whole family is ! Use the process of naming the baby as an opportunity to get your other children involved in and excited about their new brother or sister, and make the process fun. Try a little ...(related: Parenting)
Why Consistency Is The Key To Raising Well-behaved Kids
Being consistent when children are less than perfect can make you feel dreadful. However consistency is one of the most important elements in the relationship with your children, but it is the one most frequently overlooked.Consistency means dealing with the little misbehaviours and not letting them grow into bigger behaviours. It means saying no to children's constant requests for five more minutes of television at night or a third serve of ice cream. It means following through and allowing children to experience a consequence when they misbehave every time. It doesn't mean if children arrive home after dark from a friend's place you ground them sometimes but at other times you just voice your disapproval. That type of inconsistency makes you responsible f...(related: Parenting)
While You Have The Time, Take The Time
Here in Kansas, where we live, the leaves are turning beautiful shades and falling off the trees. Just last week, I was babysitting some little boys and we were playing outside. The area around their home was carpeted in leaves--ready for our enjoyment! We raked the leaves into huge piles, jumped in them, buried people underneath them, and threw leaves at each other. We had a blast! There was almost constant giggling, ...(related: Parenting)
Parents Of Teens: Do You Ever Ask Why Is She So Mean To Me?
Do you ever wonder what is behind the occasional nasty attitudes expressed by your teenager? Teenagers can make their parents feel pretty badly at times; if they only knew how much their words and actions sometimes hurt us they'd probably stop. Perhaps.It isn't a developmental necessity that teenagers be mean to their parents, but enough of them demonstrate this be...(related: Parenting)
How You Can Help Your Child To Be An Avid Reader
Reading is the most efficient and economical way to help anyoneto acquire information, knowledge, skills and improve on oneself. And it is most wonderful to help your child to be agreat reader as young as possible.The best way to help a child or any one to learn a skill and begood at it is to create a Supportive and Conducive Environmentto make it easy for her to learn. Here are some suggestionsthat you may find helpfu...(related: Parenting)
Managing Your Stepfamily
If you are a member of a stepfamily, you know how difficult it can be to integrate all of the new members and adjust to the new boundaries and rules. The following ideas may help you make a successful transition during this challenging process.Have patience. Establishing ...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | Baby Care Info | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting