What's in a Name?

What’s in a name?

One day last week as I was ordering my afternoon pick me up from my local coffee shop, the clerk said she loved  my name:  Nancy.  “That’s funny” replied. “I always found it hard to live with.” “Why?” She asked.   “People always hear it wrong, I pronounce it strangely and they hear Tracy or Angie.  It’s uncommon, strange. It’s different.” I replied. 

“You are.” was the reply. It was meant as  compliment.  I smirked.

Two other employees joined the conversation and we went on to discuss how it was a famous literary name:  Nancy Drew the infamous solver of mysteries. Nancy, protector of Oliver in Oliver Twist and in recent literature: Fancy Nancy, an extravagantly dressing youngster.(I don't dress fancy)  It is a famous name in other ways:  Nancy Reagan, Nancy Pelosi and Nancy Astor.  That’s a lot of pressure if you ask me. 

I drove back to the office thinking about my name: how and why I am Nancy.   And do I share anything with the other Nancys?

My parents had 3 boys and then I came along.  I was a big surprise. Girl’s names were the farthest from their minds.  They had started with “D”s and that became confusing so the next boy’s name began with a “J”.  This next baby (me), supposedly another boy, (the odds were running high) would probably have been another “J”.   There had to be a rhythm to the calling of the names if you were going to get all those children to dinner on time. Right? 

I started to consider the other Nancys whose name I shared.  Nancy Drew:  In my professional life I can live up to this. I solve many mysteries on the job.  Nancy Reagan:  I was never a actress, or a famous first lady, I can claim none of this. Nancy Pelosi:  a well known speaker of the house. What exactly do they do?  We won’t go there.  Nancy Astor: The first woman to win a seat in the House of Commons: A witty, saucy woman. This I could do, this I could share, saucy, mouthy, yes!

In reality though my mother was simply out witted by the hand dealt her, an unexpected girl.  She gave me the names of her best friends.  Names she would scream up and down the street, repeat until she was blue in the face. Names hopefully she would sweetly whisper on her lips before she closed her eyes every night.

And that, hopefully is what's in a name... sweet memories of loved ones.

Thanks Mom.

Peace.

Nancy Eleanor PB