A Rose by Every Other Name

Yes - I am still cyber-benched. BLAH.

My good friend, Jenn, called. I have known Jenn a long time - longer than either of us care to admit - and have seen her go through stages of names like Jennifer, Jenny, Jennyfer, Jennie, Jenney, and, most recently, Jenn. As a product of the early 70s, everyone had the same names. Ask any number of my friends named Amy and Christine.

Well, my dear friend Jenn/Jennie/Jennyfer is pregnant with either a baby boy or a cute little girl with a kick stand. Since pregnancy always made me a little loony (just move out of the way...and get me a chocolate milkshake), I try to take her daily calls-of-desperation with a grain of uber-salt.

Today's topic? Names.

Normally, I chuckle as we chat because I half listen to her while I sort my inventory in SL. She babblers on an on about the evil husband, the swollen feet, and the odd urge to eat two dozen twinkies, and I acoustically nod. But, seeing as I actually had to listen to her today, I was rolling over with laughter.

It appears that someone stole her unborn child's name.

Dial 911. This is a true pre-identity crisis.

Since all of the men and boys in our family have the same name (David or Paul), it seems to me a little odd that a name can be stolen away in utero. But, alas! It sure can be, according to Jenn/Jenny/Jennapher.

Well, apparently, the name Adam is a hot ticket these days, and bad neighbor, Lisa, stole the name right from Jenneye/Jennee/Jenn's clenches and named HER baby boy that VERY SAME name without even a WORD of mention of her plans....and...OMG....what will happen with TWO boys named Adam in the hood?

I tried to be a good friend. REALLY. I muffled my laughter; I tried to show true compassion. But it was a little hard since my husband, son, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and nephew are all named David. We seem to manage OK.

In SL, I have never met anyone with the same first name. That struck me as I tried to empathize with the victim of this wretched crime. I suggested she choose a name no one else could possibly imagine like Existential or Horace or Audio Zenith. She was not amused. She may have cursed me.

Names are important, but it really is OK if there are plain names or duplicates out there. Beth wasn't a terribly popular name in my generation, and I never had to deal with the stress of confusion, but, apparently, this name business is Jenni/Jenny/Jeni's therapy for a childhood-gone-wrong by having a common name.

I am often asked where Desideria comes from...and how to pronounce it. The name is Latin for passion and is also the name of a poem by Wordsworth (and Adrian was the only one to figure that out...so her gets lots of bonus points and rewards). You will have to read the poem in the Brit Lit classroom to know why I picked it ;p