Getting Sexy In Ohio~~What's in A Name

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", is a commonly quoted part of a dialogue in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet argues that the names of things do not matter, only what things "are".

I wonder if that is true? Is your name an indication of who you are? A woman in Ohio had her first name legally changed from Sheila to Sexy. Is she now a sexy woman?

My given name is Randolph. I always felt like it was a stuffy name. I picture 'Randolphs' sitting around old English Gentlemen Clubs sipping on whiskey and smoking pipes. That's not me at all. So all my life I have been called Randy. A name I am not particularly fond of but it's all mine.

I could not imagine changing it in an attempt to feel better about myself. I am named after the actor Randolph Scott. My parents were into the movies apparently. My brother is named after Gary Cooper.

In reality I was raised in an Italian family that was Americanizing itself. Many of my families first names were changed to try and fit in. My paternal grandmother's name was Italina but she was called Ethel as long as I can remember. My maternal grandfather was named Gandolfo but was called Adolph. We were trying to fit into American society.

There is tradition in naming children in Italian families which was thankfully broken with me. The first born grandson is usually named after his paternal grandfather. That would have made my name Emo. Thank you mom and dad for saving me form that fate, lol.

I think that people tend to look like their names would imply. Kind of like dog owners start to look like their dogs. I think Elenore Roosevelt looked like an Elenore and Bill Clinton sure looks like a Bill.

Blind dates were harrowing when the person being set up was going out with a Martha, Louise or Philomena. On the men's side the names Cecil, Winthrop and Hobart did not give rise to hope that the woman was getting a male model.

The key is that your name is yours so 'own it'.

"Proper names are poetry in the raw. Like all poetry they are untranslatable", W.H. Auden.

I would agree with Mr. Auden. Proper names are poetry but we part ways in that they are translatable. One's name brings character to that person. It is part of who and what we are and thereby translates us very well.

Randy(Almost Emo Mantovani)