Posted by Dinah on September 17, 2008, at 11:15:38
In reply to Re: Name mismatch » Dinah, posted by Racer on September 17, 2008, at 9:41:38
It sounds as if you share my feelings about names!
If you name something, you know it, or something like that. The power of a name.
I never ever grew into my name. :) But we did keep that in mind when naming my son, and named him something with a wide variety of nicknames to suit any career he might choose. We've been totally clear with him that we won't mind at all if he chooses a different version than we've always called him. But he thinks, and rightly so given his personality, that he's named just right.
When I say I hate my name, it's not that I hate the name if it were on someone else. It just doesn't suit me. If I were to charitably describe myself, or the me I like well enough to want to reinforce with a name, I'd say I'm sensible and pragmatic but also an absent minded professor, and sometimes a bit whimsical, and very low energy. I'm not sure what name would be perfect for me (although I like Dinah just fine), but it sure isn't my given name.
I always find that watching TV shows and movies is a good indicator of what image a name projects. After all, they have a limited time to introduce a character, and a name that fits what they want is one way. Characters with my full given name are generally leggy and brunette, elegant, sexy, and often play the "other woman". Characters with the usual diminutive of my name are usually quite a bit more energetic than I ever have been.
They're both fine names. But not for me.
If my mother had named me, I'd have been Karen Claire. I like that a lot better, and I wish she'd stuck to her guns with my father. I could have gone by "Carrie", although when the movie came out the parallels might have been... unfortunate. I was skinny and blonde and really unpopular. I *think* I would have found it amusing, but it probably would have caused a bit more taunting than I already got.
The best names I've had for my pets are the ones they chose for themselves. Some dogs just seem to reach out and grab you and tell you what their names should be. Like Fred. Or Kate. Or Harry. Or Grace. Or Robin.
I too tend to use pet names. My son probably wonders why I always call him food names. Pumpkin pie. Sugar plum. The final version is often something far removed from the original. One leads to another which leads to another.
My father had a huge and ever evolving store of pet names for me. Some, like the one that gave me the pronunciation of my real name (different from what they intended when they named me), were sweet and cute. Others were less than flattering, though they were always said with love.
Hmmm... Actually... I do have one pet name I use with her more than others. I'm not sure what she had gotten up to, but we started calling her Cinderella, then Cinders. It kind of stuck, and she does answer to it. Is Cinders a good name for a sweet, dainty, elegant solid working dog with a strong mischievous streak? (One day she's going to succeed in pantsing me.) It doesn't have the gravitas of a Margaret, or the plain beauty of a Meggie... But it's not really cute either. She just isn't "cute".
And I can't think of a way to gracefully introduce the pet name of Margaret. So I think there's no real way to rename her what I want to name her without having my husband annoyed with me.
poster:Dinah
thread:852300
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20080905/msgs/852450.html