MR Writer’s Club: What’s In a Name?

Aren’t humans funny? We spend the earlier part of our life cursing the names our parents bestowed upon us. We shudder when someone brings up the rhyme (Bedelia) or the meme (“And I was like, ‘Emelioooooooo.'”); we resent having a name so common that it requires the addition of our last name’s first initial; we anticipate mispronunciations, marvel at a fifth-grade boy’s ability to find the gross or sexual innuendo in any monikered introduction, and waste a lot of time wishing we were called something else. I used to want to be a Kelly or a Shannon — those sounded like popular girl names to me.

Then something happens. We enter a state of emotional unrest, where mini existential crises become so common among our peers that the question “Who am I?” is met with sympathy and camaraderie, not concern. Our names suddenly become something we cling to. They’re the most tangible form our immediate identities. After all, “Who am I?” can be simply answered with your own name.

This is why we’re determined to protect these legacies-in-the-making. Our names are a badge of honor that, whether they rhyme with unfortunate body parts or not, we fight to defend. Why else would we care whether or not knew ?

Perhaps most interesting, though, is whether or not we agree that we “fit” our names. Ultimately they’re like a horoscope in that you’re stuck with what the stars put out for you. Are you indeed, “such a Samantha”? Or the “Carol” of your friends? Are people always saying you “don’t look like a Jackie”? Do you ever “not really feel like a Dan”?

In ~500 words, this week’s Man Repeller Writer’s Club Prompt wants to know what your name means to you. All stories should be submitted to write@manrepeller.com by Thursday, January 22 at 12 pm. Slim Shady need not apply.

Original Image shot by Paul Schmidt for Marie Claire Italia