Well, this one doesn't really have to do with racism really, but I can't think of any more apt label. And I don't wanna make a new one.
=========================
Most white people don't even know what their names mean, nor do they care beyond a trivial level.
How many Davids, Richards, Michaels, and Roberts do you know? And the
Matts. They love 'Matt'. And don't even start on the Williams and Johns.
My name? My real name, I mean. You'll never have to ask, "Which one?" when talking to someone about me.
=========================
I've never cared for middle names. But then, when your surname is something common like 'Davis' or 'Johnson' and your parents are unoriginal, I suppose it's best to give your child an extra operator, just in case.
John Davis? I know seven of those! Oh, John ANTHONY Davis? Only two. Much better.
=========================
I've never cared for double first names either. Especially if the names are both common. John-Davis? Mary-Beth? I'm like, "Make up your damn mind, gee." I know one person with a double first name. Everyone just calls him the first half. Whadja expect? It's like calling your kid Bertrand these days. Ya gotta know everyone is just going to call him 'Bert'. (A fate I, myself, narrowly avoided.)
Well the reason I don't care so much for my name is that it was chosen for me at random by my parents. I did however take an interest and look up what it means a few times. However if I were to pick a name for my own child, I would pick one that I think fits. I would want them to know the meaning behind it. The same way that my wolf teddy is called Zevi, which according to my ex (who named him) means "my wolf". Though for the most part it is true that people these days don't care much for the history of names. My sister has two kids with double first names, and if you call them by just one of them, she will tear your throat out so you can never make the mistake again. My other sister also hates it when her son Edward is called "Eddie" but has no such qualms when her Dominic is called "Dom". Meh.
ReplyDelete