What's In A Name?

Today's blog has to brief like a pair of pants. Remember that phrase? No? No it didn't really take off like I thought it would did it? Anyway, quick blurb today as I'm about to meet someone called Dirk. I know. I'm as excited about it as you. I've never met anyone called Dirk and so I'm hoping his lives fully up to his name. Dirk signifies many possibilities. You could be an old school superhero's alter ego, a space captain in the 70's retro future, or a porn star. Or a dyslexic dick. Or dirt. I doubt he's either of these two. I often assume people will be like their names and you either totally are how your name is, or not. Last night at Fat Tuesday I met a Tatsuro. Despite that being a very common name in Japan, for me that name should belong to someone who can command an army of robots or run really fast with wavy lines behind him. Yes, these are all slightly racist assumptions. He was a pharmacist, so not quite the same, but a confident and nice pharmacist all the same and very much a Tatsuro.

I wonder if people automatically make judgments about me being a Tiernan. I'm not sure what they would be. Some people say they thought I'd be Irish. Some think its Tim as they haven't paid attention and assume I work wherever Tim's work. Some think I've said Tina and are just a scary voiced woman. These are my least favourite people. My name actually means new life, new king, new spring. Which is nice. I don't get the feeling though that upon hearing my name several people automatically think 'he should probably rule the country and I should have his babies.' I mean, I hope they do. Or maybe they do and they see me and change their minds. Sigh. Oddly however, Douieb, originating from Northern Africa means something like Small Wolf apparently, which then combined with my first name means I am New King Small Wolf, and that seems far more likely what people think when they see my beardy face, tendency to howl at the moon, impersonating grandmas and constantly peeing against trees.

Names are bloody fascinating. I always wonder just what goes through parents minds when they name their son or daughter something terrible like Eggbert or Griselda knowing full well in the future people will go out of their way not to meet with them assuming they keep their own urine samples in vaults or eat babies, respectively. Maybe they are asked to do such things? If everyone was called awesome names like Tatsuro and Dirk then those names would be sullied by the inevitable idiots that would have them. Imagine how horrible that would be? Meeting somebody called Kirk or Badass McGrew and then finding out their favourite thing was to eat their own bogies while watching Trisha. Horrible thought. So maybe well done those parents for keeping some expectations low.

That is for today children. Go and think about your name and how you're perceived and if its a stupid name then stay indoors today and think about why that is. Love you. Bye.