From the moment we are conceived, we are given a description, a means to which a dream is encapsulated in one small condensed chance. A chance for a life to live, for a glimmer of light shot into the universe, given by consciousness and the dreams inspired by the actions and lives who have been lived through our parents. A speck of unwritten destiny towards, and internally taken into ourselves, that small concept simply breathed out welcome “whispered softly your name”.
As we grow our name starts to splinter and define, molded by experiences, we are taken apart piece by piece with annotations and shorthand James becomes Jim, Jim becomes Jimmy, Jimmy becomes Jimmels, and eventually people can’t even remember where your name even began.
But origins have meaning, you are given a purpose upon arrival you are “this” whether that defines who you are or whether you deny that existence is your choice but isn’t that the irony by being given your name you are given a choice, owning that narrative is how you live with the choice.
My live has been defined as I’ve lived, through the experiences I have encountered and each new experience almost always occurs with, “Hi my name is …”, “What’s yours?” Funny right a word used so often it changes into nicknames and terms of endearment, or perhaps the opposite a name said in anger or frustration at experiences that bring people pain from the suggestion of your name a sound that resonates innately differently depending on the person who says it and under what circumstances they find themselves in.
But you ask what if your name is the same as the person next to you?
How can I exist individually if others are me?
I say to you Dear, Reader isn’t that beautiful?
You aren’t alone.
That somewhere going down different circumstances your parents arrived at the very same place from wildly different experiences isn’t that wondrous, this shared existence we have?
That we are echoes passing through history creating new meanings to sounds passed in reverence at our individuality sounded differently in different intonations and dialects we are our name and our name is us.
And so I will leave you with this, how you choose to encapsulate your narrative begins with the ability to define yourself by an association pain your life as if your name were the easel upon which you choose your memories coloured over a blank canvas how it turns out is up to you will it vibrant? Will it be melancholic? Will it be layered or simplistic?
I guess that’s kind of the beauty isn’t it? A name can be so multifaceted it can hold layer upon layer of meaning or just a means to end, but you know what’s so great? In the end when your canvas has been sketched and flecked with the speckles of memory and brushed with layers of life, your name remains because whether through hardship or joy you live and you die with how you define yourself, and definition starts and ends with a simple word.
Your name.
Milkshake Thoughts 