Names
So, Mom tells me that I am named David because she loves the story of David and Jonathan in the Old Testament. I also remember that she told me once that she almost gave the name to Michael (I still think of him as Mike, but Mom always calls him Michael these days. Could be a clue there). Anyway, I don't know if that would have meant I would have been named Jonathan, which would have been awkward with Jon being such a Jon. I notice sometime people refer to him as John, but he's Jon to me. Robert is still Robert. Tim is Tim, though come to think of it, Mom always says Jonathan, but calls Tim Tim.
It was interesting to hear the story of Jonathan shooting the arrows to warn David of Saul's stance on him. I remembered Mom telling it differently. At lease, when Jon and I tried it, I think it involved me shooting arrows at... I mean, toward him. Or something like that. I know we liked shooting the arrows straight up in the air, and I even recall thinking how stupid it was, but doing it anyway. There was that whole Jack*** extreme thrill thing about it. As if life in the Polander household needed any of that.
So, Debra was always Debbie to me, but I am aware that she prefers Debra, so Debra she shall be. Really, she hasn't been Debbie for about 30 years anyway, so I'm cool with that. Christine seems to be fine with Chris (correct me if I am wrong). Sheryl was never anything but Sheryl. Diana... I don't know anymore. I think it's still Diana. She used to be Nanner to me. I meant it with complete affection, but the last time I called her that, she made it clear that she hated it. Oh well.
I believe the popular story Dad told was that, had he not been in Morocco, I would have been named something like Quintus Aurelius (or Aloysius). Thank you, USAF! I also heard that Chris just missed out on being Octavia, and Debra was to have been Omega, or maybe that was just Mom's opinion. Actually, Omega would have been a cool name. Not for me, of course.
It was interesting to hear the story of Jonathan shooting the arrows to warn David of Saul's stance on him. I remembered Mom telling it differently. At lease, when Jon and I tried it, I think it involved me shooting arrows at... I mean, toward him. Or something like that. I know we liked shooting the arrows straight up in the air, and I even recall thinking how stupid it was, but doing it anyway. There was that whole Jack*** extreme thrill thing about it. As if life in the Polander household needed any of that.
So, Debra was always Debbie to me, but I am aware that she prefers Debra, so Debra she shall be. Really, she hasn't been Debbie for about 30 years anyway, so I'm cool with that. Christine seems to be fine with Chris (correct me if I am wrong). Sheryl was never anything but Sheryl. Diana... I don't know anymore. I think it's still Diana. She used to be Nanner to me. I meant it with complete affection, but the last time I called her that, she made it clear that she hated it. Oh well.
I believe the popular story Dad told was that, had he not been in Morocco, I would have been named something like Quintus Aurelius (or Aloysius). Thank you, USAF! I also heard that Chris just missed out on being Octavia, and Debra was to have been Omega, or maybe that was just Mom's opinion. Actually, Omega would have been a cool name. Not for me, of course.
As I understood it, Chris was to be Octavia Omega--but just as well that went away, since Debra came after. I have come across a few too many cute approaches to family names, all the same first letter, etc. I think Mom and Dad did pretty well, at least our names are normal and the spellings are pretty mainstream, even mine. By the way, I remember being told that that spelling of Sheryl was so they could call me Sherry, but it didn't stick.