Baby Names, Character Names, My Name and ALMA

HarrietI've been thinking more about my name -- see my last post about meeting another (younger!) Irene and an earlier (2010!) post about
We can learn a lot about a person by their nicknames. My father's favorite nickname for me was "Harriet." He also called me "Honey" and "Sugar Girl" quite often. But he used those for other people, too -- only Harriet was all mine. I don't know why or where or what. It never mattered. I WAS Harriet.

Somewhere along the line my brother Ken called me Reniebob. It stuck. Sometimes it gets shortened to Renie. Even Paul calls me Renie!

Irene "The Boss" t-shirt
in its current life as a quiltThe women in my family dubbed me The Boss. (My mom even made me a t-shirt once with "The Boss" monogrammed on the pocket.) I'm generally the organizer and instigator. I get things done! And I *might* have been a bit of a bossy big sister... I do have memories of playing house with my sister Lynn and insisting that she be the father, because of course I HAD to be the mother. Lucky for me Lynn was always pretty flexible and agreeable. (Still is.)

I wrote a poem recently about my name, in the voice of 5th-grade me (just like in the book CAN I TOUCH YOUR HAIR?) Here it is:

Namesake
When I tell DennisI'm named for mygreat grandmother,he giggles. Sounds like an old-lady name.
I shrink a littleinside, even thoughI've alwaysliked my name –
especially when Papatells me storiesabout how that Irenenever said a bad thingabout anyone.
I don't think I canpossibly live up to that,but I want to try.
So I push back my shoulders,look Dennis in the eye,and tell him the otherthing I know about my name.Actually, Irene is the Greek goddess of Peace.
And, by the way,old ladies are cool.I'm going to be onesomeday. <!-- @page { margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } </style> <br />--> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>- Irene Latham</i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0sZ3C3aDf4..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="229" height="384" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0sZ3C3aDf4..." width="400" /></a></div>And then I received in the mail from the publisher a beautiful book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alma-How-She-G... AND HOW SHE GOT HER NAME</a> by <a href="http://www.juanamartinezneal.com/&quo... Martinez-Neal </a>(Candlewick). This is Juana's debut as an author-illustrator, but her illustration work has been well awarded! This book, too, has gotten a number of starred reviews already, and it's easy to see why.<br /><br />Little Alma has six names (!), and she wants to know where they all come from. So her daddy introduces her to the people for whom she's been named. The book is wonderfully affirming and also leaves the reader with these questions: <i>What is the story of your name? What story would you like it to tell?</i><br /><i><br /></i>The above poem is part of my answer. As for the story I'd like it to tell.... well, I think every book I write is the answer to that question! As is this blog... I hope the story "Irene" tells is this: "she lives her poem."<br /><br />What about you, your name, your story?<br /><br />