A rose by any other name...

Do you ever think of your name?  Probably not.  Living in a "stationary place", you are probably used to hearing your name a lot.  Neighbors, friends, coworkers, family, all sorts of folks calling you by your first name, Mom, Aunt, Grandma, etc. all of the time.  You don't think anything about it, it's just part of life.

Well, when you live the nomad life like we do, that's not the case.  Other than Jack calling for me, I really don't hear my name!  Even when we check into a campground, the hosts
don't really say "welcome Marie, or Mrs Beschen".   I didn't really give it much thought until this long visit with family.

Suddenly, I'm hearing my name all over the place!  Being introduced to friends, then seeing the same ones again and having them remember me, using my name again saying "hello Marie, nice to see you again!"  Lots of Aunt Marie, and "Sister" this and "Sissy" that.  One evening while we were leaving a restaurant, and I was carrying a take-out box, I heard someone say "watch out Auntie, it's leaking!"  I had to look around to see who they were talking to!  It was me!  I had to chuckle to myself, I wasn't used to this.  It still takes me a second to respond when one of my sister's says "sister, would you....?" because I always think she's talking to the other one!

One of my sister's friend's name is also Marie and when we first met we commented on the rarity of meeting someone with our name.  When we were at another function together, every time she passed me, she would say "hello Marie".  It got to be kind of funny, and it never stopped sounding strange to hear my name.

Funny how when you are in a "normal" lifestyle most your life, then when you change it (so drastically) you don't notice the little things that made up that lifestyle until you walk back into them for awhile.

I like all of my names, I have to admit.  I do miss some of them more than others tho...mostly "Mom" and Grammy/Grandma.  Those I have to get by phone more than I'd like, but at least I do!  I've saved some phone messages that they've left me in the past, so when I need a "fix", I play them back and just smile.

I think all our various names are just another word for love...

...kicking back in Tacoma WA,  Marie