Random Snowflakes: The Name Project

I've always been fascinated with names. Whenever I meet someone for the first time, one of the first things I ask is: "What does your name mean?" A lot of people find this weird because (a) they don't know what their name means, (b) they don't care what their name means, or (c) they just think it's weird of me to ask what their name means.

I think it's sad when someone doesn't know what their name means, and I think it's just tragic when they don't care. Names are names for a reason. They have meanings, and I think that it makes a difference in who we are.

Don't believe me? I'll give you an example. Have you ever been called something "beautiful", "gorgeous" or "handsome"? How about "stupid" or "useless" or "idiot"? "Geek"? "Genius"? I've been called one or more of those one or more times in my life, and they had an effect on me. If I was called positively, I felt great. If it was an insult, I felt angry, and sometimes even rejected. Now, think about this: what if you were called something repeatedly? Back in college, when my friends and I began calling each other "gorgeous" as we would call each other "friend", we all felt gorgeous after a while! I mean, if someone said you were something everyday, wouldn't you begin to believe it?

The same applies to given names. Names have meanings, and they affect us, one way or another. I think our name tells us what our parents wanted us to be when we grew up. Sometimes, it can affect the way we see ourselves. That's why I think it's cool if we know our names. Although it does not dictate our identity, it helps a whole lot to know what you've been "branded".

Hmm...

I've always wanted to do a group writing project like Darren Rowse usually does. I think I'll start right now. Let's call it the Name Project because that's exactly what it is.

So here's what we'll do:

1. Write a post in your blog about your name. You can write about what it means, how you feel about it, or how you parents named you. You can write about your web nick if you would like, in case you don't want to share your real name, for some reason. In case you want to write about both, that's fine, too!

2. After you've written about your post, link back to this post, and invite your friends to participate, as well. Actually, my original intention for this post is to get my friends to write about their names. Then, I thought, "What the hell, why not try to get the rest of my blogosphere into this, too?"

3. Submit your link URL as a comment on this post, or through email (sarahcada@gmail.com) so I can link to you, too. I'll post a list of every 5 entries. Linklove~ yey!

4. Read other people's posts when the list gets started. I think a lot of interesting stories will come up... And not only that, we'll get to learn what names mean! ^____^

I think I'll sort of make this into a contest/raffle... Every month, I'll select a post, and I'll make a blog review for the author. As for MY post about my name, I'll write it along with the first winner. Ayt? Ayt! Heeeheee.

And, oh yeah: you can submit your post here, too. Remember to include your URL (of course), your name, and the anchor text you would like me to use when I link you.

Labels: blogging, group writing project, names