Whats in a name?

That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet. The question would have left even shakespeare with a question mark on his head. So, whats the big deal in a name, il try to figure out as i write this post. But there is something about your name that really makes you smile, everytime you see it either on a tea stall board or behind a Car or you meet another person with the same name, for an instant you swell up with pride.

And its not just the name, the way its spelt too. I get really cross, if people dont get my name right or the spellings and pronounciation right. And believe, every conference call i have with clients, and they say my name in a funny way - i feel like hitting them with a wooden ruler on the knuckels just like my kindergarden teacher used to if i did not get a word right. Well, no leniency there, coz my name is a four letter word with no silent alphabets.

And then there are some people who would spell their name in the most inane way. I once had a trainer who spelled her name with probably all the vowels just to make sure the angrez got the correct accent. She spelled her name as 'Maniecka'. And a different breed will add an extra 'i' or a 's'. Karieena, Niteenn, Sseemma, Ekktaa - all stupid fans of numerlogists. The South Indians have so looooooooong names that their initials have the same number of characters as my name. :P Take for instance, remembering the full name of former president - Avul Pakir Jainilabdeen Abdul Kalam Manakkayar - or the Srilankan Cricketers can cause partial paralysis of the tongue. :P Why cant they keep it simple and short. Having names makes us different from the rats, so we answer to our names, rather than answering to a call like - Hey, You - Yellow Shirt. The name is so dear, that women tend to keep their maiden name even after marriage and add the new surname as a suffix.

Naming the is important, as i feel the name has a bearing on your personality. The name is our identity, that no one can steal away from us. The family name and surname gives you a sense of belonging. The family names build the ancestry and the family tree, often denoting the occupation as well. So, Dear shakespeare, Wherever art thou - the answer to your question is, There is a lot in the name. The whole paraphernalia of your life in a grain of sand that is engraved on the epitaph. We may die, but our names live forever.