Tuesday, July 19, 2005

What's in a name?

When parents choses a name for their child do they ever wonder whether the bawling, kicking individual in question will ever live up to the name they are about to bestow? Past experiences indicate that they do not.

I have met numerous Vidyas who are incapable of addition, Sushmithas who were forever grim and Shaktis who would go running off the playground screaming and crying when 'attacked' by grasshoppers.

Now I'm not blaming parents or children. Parents can only hope that Geeta won't sound like a defunct garbage disposal machine when she sings and it's not little Vijays fault he gets bowled out as soon as he reaches the crease.

Perhaps parents whould wait a few years before naming their children. See how they turn out first. Children could be given serial numbers instead. So after AD892 has shown that he is sufficiently discerning his parents can name him Vivek.

I know, I know. How cruel to serialise children and not give them proper names that they can be cajoled, coddled and cosseted with. Well it's not like parents really call their children by their actual names until they're 3-4 years old. Till then it's usually a mix of Bujju, Gudiya, Kannu, BooBoo and other such terms of endearment. Sure the children will have a hard time adjusting and responding to their new names. Some may even suffer an identity crisis. But what's worse? That or having Vishwanath (Lord of the Universe) getting pulverised by Mridula for his lunch money?

My parents took the easy way out. They named me after a celestial dancer (I think they were watching way to many cabarets back then). So on looking up the meaning of my name all I found was, well "celestial dancer". So I really don't have any expectations to live up to, unless my lack of dexterity when it comes to hip thrusts has let my parents down.

Sorry Mom.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tom Cruise Chellam is reminded of an article he wrote a couple of years back with a similar theme which he submitted to some silly paper for publication and the paper being silly could not appreciate and send it back to TCChellam

Anonymous said...

After many a question about my name, I finally discovered what it meant in the 26th year of my existence.

Cupid, Kama, God of Love

With my luck with women, it was enough cause for instant humiliation and still persisting depression.

Unknown said...

i guess bongs do it better (i might be fanning their already superheated egos here ) they, i believe, give a dak naam (calling name) to the child and then at some auspicious time shubh naam (real name). ( Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is saga based on one's struggle with name that wont go away )