The girls were watching a tape of “Swiss Family Robinson” early Sunday morning. Because we don’t watch nearly enough television. And since “Swiss Family Robinson” is a welcome break from, say, “Barney”, I’m not going to object. I was nearby when I hear one of the Robinson brothers say to the other “I don’t think so, stupid.”
I interjected, “That was not nice for him to call his brother that.” (“Stupid” is on our do not call list.) Cailey, always one to look for reasonable explanations for just about everything, and not wanting the movie to end abruptly, countered with, “Maybe that’s his name.”
Okay. Doubtful. But, okay.
I believe that what you name a child or pet, for example, could very well influence how they get along in life. When I was growing up, my Aunt Audine had a wiener dog named A** Guard. The hard “s” sound wasn’t really emphasized, so his name was pronounced “Azguard.” Which I thought was an interesting choice. It wasn’t until I was an adult, and saw his name written in one of my mother’s letters, that I caught on to what his name actually was. Proving to my family once and for all that I really was the sharpest knife in the drawer. By the way, A** Guard was fiercely loyal to my Aunt Audine until the day he died.
I never liked my own name when I was small. In the first grade, we had name cards on our desks. I turned mine over and wrote “Betty.” That was a much more fitting name for me, I thought. Miss Byrd, my sweet teacher, allowed me to live in my fantasy world, and she called me “Betty” as well. My given name actually worked in my favor later in the third grade. Miss Menke announced one day that she was going to have a contest of sorts. She would be awarding a book to the student with the most……….um, let’s see, the most “E’s” in their name. Since my name was DeeDee Renee, I was declared the winner. By a landslide. Many years later, as an adult, a former classmate of mine recalled the incident and suggested that perhaps I was teacher’s pet. Again, sharp as a basketball. Do you see a pattern?
I’ve learned to appreciate my name. Although it’s very beginnings were not terribly auspicious, to say the least. I’ve written about this before, I’m certain. I was named after a stripper. My parents were expecting me to be a boy, and had hand picked the name “Mark Revolette.” When I arrived instead, “Mark” didn’t seem to fit. My mother was propped up in her bed in the hospital, reading the “Fort Worth Star Telegram” and paid particular attention to an article about a stripper named “DeeDee” that had been arrested for, well, I’ll leave that to your imagination. She said to my father, “Well, that’s a cute name,” in her trademark southern drawl. My father was understandably dismayed. And immediately rushed to the hospital nursery where he hand wrote “Renee” on the card at the end of my bassinet. I still have that card. Alas, since Mom was the one who actually endured the hardship of childbirth, she won. I would like to note here that in those days, the hardship of childbirth, for my mother, involved being rendered blissfully unconscious, and waking up 15 pounds lighter to the tune of “It’s a girl!” Not that I weighed 15 pounds, I’m just sayin’.
My Dad still calls me Renee. Which makes me feel awfully grown up.
I can just imagine myself as an old woman. With the name “DeeDee” I undoubtedly will be able to get away with pretty much anything. I will be cantankerously mischievous. I intend to live with my children, where I will leave my underdrawers on the living room floor, drop cracker crumbs as a trail from the kitchen to my room (so I can find my way back), bicker with Fiddledaddy about whose turn it is to sit in the comfy chair, forget to flush the toilet and wash my hands, and wear a bright purple floral shirt with my green striped capri pants. To church. Every single Sunday. Where I will pick my nose. And wipe it on someone.
I imagine if my parents had gone with their original decision to name me Mark, this might be a very different blog.
{ 27 comments }
i love this!
i’ve often wondered about certain names and how they come across when the person was older or younger. my mom’s name is Peggy and her sister’s name is Dorothy and while those names are fitting for them now, they were names that were hard to imagine calling, say, a 1 or 2 yr old.
my name is one that i have a hard time imagining an old woman with (though, that will obviously be me one day!)
blessings,
karla
A really wonderful journal – your writing so interesting that one is immediately captivated.
I am pleased with my christian name, although I have often thought of changing my surname to something more interesting say that of “Dostoesvkii” – such are the thoughts on this beautiful spring day.
Blessings to you all.
If I was a boy my parents had decided on my husband’s name. My mother was quite pleased when I married him. She only had to wait 28 years to get her son with the name she wanted.
I always wanted to have a different name too. Barbara sounded nice.
Thanks for the smile today.
I am so glad I stopped in to your blog for my morning giggle….my grandfather named his 27 pound cat Angus McAr*seh*le….I beginning to think he was mental LONG before he proved he was nuts….LOL Have a great day!
FiddleMark would not be a good name for a blog. You may have received some “interesting” visitors to say the least. For that, I am glad your name is Dee Dee Renee, you teacher’s pet, you.
I can always count on you to make me laugh first thing in the morning.
My mom wanted to name me Mitsy. I’m sure if she had, I would now have friends like Buffy and live life amongst high society. Or maybe just be a stripper.
My brother named his dog Booty. His last name is Call.
It’s wrong. Just wrong.
(And for the record, my parent’s almost named me Holly. Which somehow makes me think I would have spent my life wearing bonnets so no one could see my facial features. Weird.)
Love your blog, by the way. So glad I stumbled upon it. If a cheerful heart is good medicine, I’m practically high with all the good cheer running through my spiritual and emotional veins.
Kelly,
I understand. I had a dog in college that I named Max E. Padd. A cruel thing to do to a dog. And he had papers too. And I don’t mean the kind he pooped on. Just wrong.
I was supposed to be a boy named Jeremy~yuck! I never liked my named either. I wanted to be called Marie! Hmmm, I wonder why?
Years later I learned that Amy means most beloved and I like that! The funny thing is my husband’s name is David and his just means plain old beloved! Ha! Don’t think that I don’t hold that over his head everyday ;o)
Love your blog! You got a way with words!
) My mom named me Tammy after the country singer. Then later, she decided I didn’t look like a Tammy, so I’ve always gone by my middle name. Just makes things hard sometimes when the name is already on important paperwork such as drivers license, checks. You wouldn’t believe the problems I’ve had.
Too funny for words. I love that you got a prize for having the most “e”‘s. That’s great
This is too funny! I was named for 2 songs. Tammy’s in Love and Carena Carena (middle name is Carene).
I have thought for years our names make us who we are…or at least help shape us. Look at the bible. There is a reason that God changed name. There is a reason why the names meanings are told. They help describe the person.
Good post!
I agree that our names are a big part of who we are. My name is very unusual and I’ve always felt unique because of it. It made me feel while I was growing up as though I wasn’t just one of the crowd, and I never wanted to do things just like everyone else.
I think your plan for a little payback when you’re old is a great one! You can definitely get away with it!
There is a naming tradition on my dad’s side. Da Hubby’s and my nationalities narrowed our preferred choices. And, we lost my BIL and grandma within a month of each other the year before I had #2. Even with all that to consider, we tried to be SOOOOO careful about what we picked for names. We rated them by the “teasing factor”, what our future little ones’ initals would spell, etc. Despite all this stress, I’m sure one or both will come to us at some point and say – “what were you thinking!?” LOL
I have always felt that my name was for a nerd with glasses. Now, I am sitting here in my glasses and quite enjoy my name. It is different and can be kind of cool (if you think of Janis Joplin). I always liked the name DeeDee. It made me think of someone bubbly and happy. I guess we all have issues with our names. I love your description of life in the future! You make me smile everytime I read your posts! Blessings to you!
You crack me up!
I wanted to be named Debbie when I was younger. How original. However, not only was I Lori, I was Lori Gail, because there was another Lori in my class. She got to be just plain Lori, and I got to be called by my first and middle names (that I didn’t like) until I changed schools in High School.
Ironically, the middle name stuck and has made a resurgence many times throughout my life.
Now I’m trying to imagine Lori Gail with a walker and dentures. Not working.
Oh DeeDee, this is just too endearing! Especially now knowing that your name sounds more like “Day-Day’ when your sweet Mama from Texas pronounces it. Day-day Rah-nay. Ooh, I knew I liked ya before….
I wanted a middle name REAL BAD when I was in first grade. My folks did not bestow middle names on the girls in our family believing that they would be useless after we were married and had adopted our maiden name as a middle name. But honestly? It was an unpronounceable last name and I had it for 22 years, did they really think I was going to cart it around for the rest of my life? After marrying into a name I never have to spell or explain to ANYONE? Puh-leaze.
Anyway, Jane was my choice for middle name as a six year old. Jennifer Jane. I put it on all my papers. I thought it was just marvy.
Actually, I kinda wish it had stuck…
I’ve never cared for Tara Louise. Glad I didn’t grow up in the south! What is it with people not caring for this or that aspect of their names? And we work sooo hard to find just the right name for our kids. Well, at least they’ll have something to blog about or complain to Oprah about!
I just love your blog. It makes me smile.
Hmmm… what’s in a name?
My closest family members call me Dee Dee instead of Deidre. I was always called Dee Dee growing up, so now when I hear it, it’s very indearing. BUT, I’m going to ask my mom if I’m named after a stripper. That may change my outlook
too funny! I was named after my mom’s best friend (my middle name) and what a joy that was!
Love your blog!
You’re so funny – and I think DeeDee suits you just fine. If it was something else, what on earth would you call your blog? And Mark on a woman is just weird.
I was supposed to be “Jennifer Louise”, until 2 weeks before I was born, my aunt stole that name for my cousin. So, my name was just pulled out of the air, and partly chosen after my grandma’s dog. It’s still a topic of discussion in my family.
That’s always been one of my biggest fears…that my children won’t like their names. Picking names was the hardest thing about our pregnancy!
I guess it’s because I’ve always given my parents such a hard time about mine…
Oh my word, you are funny. The funniest REAL name I ever heard was Oliver Yu. He was a chubby chinese student in my third grade class. We never could make him understand why it was so funny.
In high school we spent a week one summer repairing houses in West Virginia. The old couple whose house we worked on had a little blind dog named “C’mere.” I’m not kidding. The wife said it was just easier to call the dog that way. : )
My mother didn’t realize that my dad named me after the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Really!
I never liked my name either growing up – there was always more than one Melissa in class. My sister’s name is Jennifer, and those two names being quite popular in the 70′s, just goes to show how much thought my parents put into naming us. Although I really shouldn’t talk considering two of our three kids won most popular names for the years they were born – Hannah (1999) and Jacob (2001).
I like the name DeeDee – reminds me of a girl I went to elementary school with
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