When you hear the name “Michael Jackson” what comes to mind? The entertainer, right? Well maybe for most people except people that may know another Michael Jackson that’s fresh on their minds. Michael Jackson is easily one of the most common names in America, there are hundred of thousands of them. But this one guy stands out in most of our minds.
Often people don’t understand why I become bothered when people compare me to other people. “You look like…” “You act like…” Well hopefully after this entry you will understand and also share the feeling.
When you hear the name William Washington or Will Wash, what person comes to mind? Hopefully me. I pride myself in that. My own little impact to those around me.
But what a name really? Sure your last name establishes your linage and placement in the world, kind of. But your given name is just a name you was given by someone. If you were the last person on earth, The Omega Man, would you care about having a name? No. There is now the there to need it or use it. Because you don’t refer to yourself in third person, unless you are crazy. This feral kid that are raised by wolves don’t give themselves names, they don’t need a name. You are you, that why in language we have I’s and me’s. To refer to ourselves. Your name is simply for being able to communicate the difference between human 1 and human 2 without having to see, touch, or point. Identification. Any profound meaning? No, not yet. Remember your name is not even for you because you don’t need to identify yourself from someone else. Unless you are mentally crazy.
On the surface name don’t really have importance other than having one, and that is kind of correct. But names can be made to have importance. As a baby your parents gave you a name to identify you. You don’t know about liking it or not or if it has some meaning. Mayber is has meaning to the ones that gave it to you but it’s actually meaning is simple you, the human being because that what names are for, identification. As you grown and as it is used you claim ownership of that name. When someone ask you, you say your name or nickname or whatever you are used to people being able to identify you as. That’s why people seem to be ok with strange or silly names, not because they like them or got to pick their own name but because it’s the way they are identified and have acknowledged and claimed ownership. After 18 you have the option to start over being associating yourself with another name for people to know for other people. Also there stages in life where you may add to your name for better identification, like taking your husbands name or taking a title. Becoming identified as Mrs Somebody or Dr Somebody in addition your given name. Just more ways of isolating the one in a few billion of people. But as always doesn’t matter what your name actual name is because it’s for other people to call you.
Names don’t importance attached to them until people start associating it to something. Like Rockefeller is to money because of the people that have that name done things that a noteworthy and worth remembering in regards to money. Same thing with each of our names. There are thousands of other William Washingtons in the US alone, it’s a common name. Now if you see the name William Washington how do you know which one someone is talking about? You don’t until more info is given but in the mean time one of them that you know will come to mind and the one that have left the biggest impression on your life will be the one.
So I try hard to leave an impression or mark on the world, for at the very least for identification purposes. Not that I have to become famous or anything but not hiding my identity and making impact those around me so that know who I am. Doesn’t matter if it’s my full name or nickname what matters is you can clearly identify the human being born March 15, 1979 in Washington DC.
To make an impact on those around you it really doesn’t matter either on how you do it but that you doing it. You could be like Hitler or Gracy or on the other side Martin Luther- haha or Martin Luther King (which one was you thinking of?). But it’s your own task to make your given name mean you as that particular human being and the emotion and feelings attached to it.
Look at Rick Ross. Which one are you thinking of? The rapper or drug dealer? This is case where a person changed his name. Rick Ross was a drug dealer that had street fame, people knew of him and when someone said the name, they knew who they talking about. Then there was a man who wanted to be famous and took the stage name Rick Ross. Now the name Rick Ross was familiar to many by now because of the works of the drug dealer so that help him be recognized as the other Rick Ross. So while one guy is in jail the other is still out spreading his influence to the point where if you say the name Rick Ross you think of the entertainer instead of the original drug dealer. At first the name Rick Ross made people think of drugs and now Rick Ross make people think of rap music. The name didn’t change but the people and the thoughts behind it did.
Each of us have a name and it’s our job to make it stand out, mean something, or associate it with us. Whether you was given the name or made it up it’s still up to the person that give the name value and human association in the minds of others because that’s what names are all about association in other people’s minds, not our own. Of course, unless you are crazy and need to associate yourself with a name to refer to yourself to.
Now when you tell me I remind you for someone else that means I have not made a big enough impact in your mind. Because you need to associate me as variation of someone else. That’s a problem with me because when you are faced with two humans and that other guy was the primary thought. When people first meet me I understand, don’t like it but understand. Because we all do that to help us relate and remember things to by associations. Over time, you will not need to do an association to identify me because I would have made a big enough impact in you mind separate from that association…hopefully.
Shout out to my dad for giving me his name, I hope I can improve it and make him proud for giving it to me. Feel free to comment on this one. What do you want out of your name? Do you think it’s your job to give meaning to your name?
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