What’s in a Name?

After the funeral service, we got to talking about names.  Uncle Harley told us about his mother’s.  One day his grandfather was standing on a bridge in Rochester, watching boats and ships go by, and a vessel came out on his side.

Printed in large letters along its side was Firmina.

I had wondered about this name given to a baby from the Toole side of the family. Firmina has Latin roots and means firm, steadfast. As it turned out, no one used her name; she went by Dot.

Her sisters were named Gladys, Viola, Lucille and they are throwbacks to an era, but I’m not sure how popular Viola was even then.  Maybe the idea came from the family’s love of music.

At the memorial service, Mary talked about names. She was born on Christmas Eve and given her name Mary Carol. As a child she thought everyone’s name ended with an “eee” sound like Mommy and Daddy and her own name Mary.  So Beth was Bethy to her.  And she always will be.  Mary named her daughter Julia Beth after her sister.

Here’s the rub:  they did not call her Julia, they called her Julie. Jul-eee.  The whole family calls her that, except for Beth who called her Julie Beth.

After the service, a guest introduced himself to her and said, “So you must be Julie Bethy.”

That evening, ten of us sat in a circle, enjoying various levels of drink, discussing names, true names of people we knew or met.  Julie mentioned a guy she knew in school, Justin Drinkwater, which is not so notable until she told us his middle name is Case.

Justin Case Drinkwater.

Going through old albums, Julie’s mom pointed to a picture of Harry’s wife who was a family friend. She hadn’t given his name much thought.   Then Julie said, “Mom, his name is Ball. Harry Ball.”

It regressed from there.

And the laughter was the deep-in-the-gut kind with tears.  We needed it.

Harley told me about the time he took my eight year old daughter for a “not too fast” ride on his motorcycle.  She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her helmet against his back, then said a name over and over.

“Angelina Ballerina.  Angelina Ballerina. Angelina Ballerina.”

 

 Angelina Ballerina by Holabird & Craig  — Book Link

And I don’t need to tell you the make of motorcycle Harley rides.  As I looked around the circle of family in the evening glow, I noticed the emblem on my brother’s white shirt.

Harley Davidson.

Jul 7, 2014

0 Comments

About the Author

Mylinh Shattan is a writer who has lived on three continents, served in the Army, worked in corporate America, and taught in college. She loves adventures, in the world and in the mind. Literature is relevant and learning is a lifelong pursuit, so you might as well have a bit of fun along the way.

Stay Up to Date

Rise above the tedium with the TreeHouseLetter. Always learning with a bit of fun.

Latest Posts

The Cure for Resentment and Cynicism

3 Min read 2 Book recs 1 Podcast rec Wisdom from the college graduate AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify iTunes The cure for resentment and self-abnegation is gratitude. So says Douglas Murray, author and guest on the Good Fellows Podcast.* Murray asked his friend--a...

Weasel Words

3 Min read 2 Book recs on grammar, usage, and style Toolbox, ages 9 to 99 Improve writing immediately AVAILABLE IN PODCAST Spotify iTunes * One of our defects as a nation is a tendency to use what have been called weasel words. When a weasel sucks eggs it sucks the...

What Makes a Single Person’s Death Feel Large?*

4 Min read 2 Book recs, on writing and on jigsaws Toolbox, the Eulogy 1 Elegy, What is Dying? for the bereaved * AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY iTunes * Four friends died recently and three were my age: one from acute liver failure, one from Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS),...

Wild Horses Dragged Me Away

3 Min read Wild horses Assateague Island Estancia Alta Vista, Patagonia 1 Book, children's classic AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify iTunes * Wild horses dragged me away.* In earnest. My road trip last weekend had a detour to Assateague Island off the Eastern Shore of...

Go Slow to Go Fast

3 Min read 1 Cookbook rec 1 Book rec on writing Toolbox AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify iTunes * My nephew Donny and I were making Sally's* shortbread cookies. They're called short because of the amount of butter used. The more butter or fat, the more crumbly, tender,...

Sleep on It: Darkness Helps Us See the Light

5 Min read Dreams Pattern seeker 1 Podcast rec Digit dork alert - Fibonacci, Golden Ratio AVAILABLE IN PODCAST Spotify iTunes * A three-for, a chief in triplicate, the Don at the podium was the Don of adolescence, the Don of agency, and the Don of business school....

Topics

Inoculate yourself against the absurdity of life with a dose of the best ideas and writing. Always learning with a bit of fun.

TreeHouseLetter

Always learning with a bit of fun

 

 

Readers receive one to two letters a week, with 2 to 10 minute read time. Includes regular features:

 

The Music in Prose
Poetry for Emergencies
Toolbox

 

 

Be inspired by the best writing and ideas, and become better readers and writers in the process.

Thank you for joining! Please check your email for a confirmation.