Another of those "interesting but have no real meaning" thingies: http://www.bostonuk.com/names/default.asp. You put in a name, and it tells you what your personality is like based on the qualities associated with that name.
Here's mine: "Having confidence in yourself and integrity you have your emotions under control and are rarely ruffled. You have a quiet and reflective manner and are responsive to the needs of others giving you the ability to be a mediator. You are extremely successful in the material world being organised, financially astute and pursuing realistic goals. Your caring attitude and compassion certainly makes you a loved individual. "
Hmmm. Ok. The first sentence is short-term situationally debatable, but in the long run true. Most will agree with the second. The third is true depending on one's definitions. I like to think the last is true, although limited, in that I don't spread it too thin. Self protection, and all that.
Naturally, I put in the real names of some of my friends and family, and oddly enough, most of the descriptions actually fit! And then if I tried the nicknames they themselves seem to prefer, as opposed to their given names, it was even closer to what I know of them. Interesting.
I suppose it's possible that when parents choose a name for their new baby, they might subconsciously choose names that reflect in their culture the traits that they value. I mean a family that values muscles and toughness and ability to hold yer likker and describes opera as "catterwalling" is not likely to name a baby boy "Marion", even if it is spelled with an "o" instead of an "a". So even though you aren't likely to be shaped by your name, you are likely to be shaped by your family, who chose the name.
On the other hand, I know a guy whose tough coal mining family chose to name him Gwendolyn. Seems "Gwendolyn" is a powerful male name in the mountains of Wales. It definitely did make him strong....
Interesting thought.
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I'm sitting here in the den, and I could hear an odd sound. I finally decided it was a chainsaw, in the lower part of the front yard. Must be The Hunk taking care of those wind-toppled trees.
Nope.
It's Miss Thunderfoot, purring/snoring under the desk.
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Back to the guy named Gwendolyn. He NEVER used his real first name, always his first initial only with his middle and last name. Like "G. Wayne Jones" (not the real name, but close enough to tell the story).
I worked with him in St. Louis. A bunch of the guys and I were at lunch one day (I was the only female in the office, by the way. Even my secretary was male, which led to some funny situations, but that's for later), and the guys started pressing him for his real first name. "What's the 'G' stand for, Wayne?" He said he wouldn't tell, but if anyone guessed it, he'd acknowledge it. He was confident that no one would ever guess.
So all the others are tossing out guesses like "George" (oh, come on!), and "Gerald" and so on. And he's laughing. "You'll never guess it. Not in a million years!"
I sat there quietly. His last name told me his family was from the British Isles. His middle name said most likely Wales. Hmmm. What are some Welsh male names that he wouldn't want to claim. "Gladis". No, he doesn't seem like a Gladis. "Gertrude"? No, that's more English/German and too strong. I made a mental list and sorted.
When the other guys had given up, and there was a pause in the conversation, I quietly said "Gwendolyn. It's a perfectly good name, a strong name, and you should embrace it."
It landed like a bomb. Absolute shock. He got up and ran for dessert. He later asked me how I knew. He couldn't believe it was just a guess.
He was a huge guy, and one of the smartest and most highly respected on the team. As far as I know, none of the other guys ever had the courage to call him Gwendolyn to his face or behind his back. It was ok. And for some strange reason, he respected me more and treated me more softly after that.
Like he wondered what else I might know.
~~Silk
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