Thursday, March 5, 2009

NOM

Megan.

It's a good name. A solid name. A traditional name. A name that my ma n' pa didn't fabricate. A name without a superfluous H.

Let's sway from topic (me) but stay on theme for a sec and review Utah naming trends. My limited scope of life hasn't revealed that the phenomenon of inane, yokel-like baby names of pure invention exists on a grand scale outside Utah. So for me, the wide-spread tendency to hex a kid with a piecemeal and either too-phonetic or essentially unpronounceable name is exclusive to the State of Deseret.

Names like Kadelyn, Brindalyn, Maddeysen, Jadealyn, and Jaidin are all-star trailer trash indicators. If you named your child one of the aforementioned, it would be appropriate for me to apologize for my lack of tact, but it would also be a big fat lie, 'cause I'm not all that sorry.

The one who should engage in apologizing is probably you. To your child. Practice this: I'm sorry for giving you a name generated by tossing out random Scrabble tiles. Or go with I'm sorry that in naming you I tried to one-up the neighbors by recklessly altering the spelling of a traditional name and failed famously.

Let's say this, you don't need to give your kid some crazy unique name to make them special and different; they came that way!

I'm of the persuasion that a name shouldn't be a burden and find it irritating that some of the winner names Utah parents frequently dream up are nothing short of a knapsack of asphalt.

Anyhow, back to my name: Megan. Short. Like me. Irish in origin. Like me. Easy. Like me. (Kidding.) Rich with adjectives when G-less.

And I'm partial to the way it looks abbreviated: Meg.

A predilection that has introduced an interesting state of affairs in this little life o' mine. See, my Blogger profile name is Meg. If I leave a comment, the blue link reveals to readers that it was Meg's doing. Meg was here. I made "Meg" my profile name 'cause I find its aesthetics charming. No kidding. And it didn't really occur to me that people would take the abbreviation seriously and respond to my comments and send me emails addressing me as "Meg."

It's unnerving.

Outside the blogosphere, I can count on two hands the people that call me Meg. Maybe even just a single paw. It requires severe familiarity or the right saucy personality type. However, rarely a day zips by that I don't seat myself in front of a Gmail account rife with emails politely greeting "Meg." (Who the heck is she?) My family doesn't even regularly call me Meg, yet there's an email from some soul seeking design help, and because my KnuckleHeaders site declares that it was "Made by Meg," the seeking soul [sensibly] assumes that I do my day-to-day dealings under the shortened version of my email address.

Thing is, I'm a prickly person with whom intimacy is earned and rarely granted, so when I receive emails addressing me with familiarity, my knickers knot themselves in response to what I ideate as the writer's sheer presumptuousness. When, by golly, their use of "Meg" was my fault in the first place and they haven't a clue I clench when a new someone makes a go at chumminess by shortening my first name.

So change it, you say.

Nope. Like I said, I like the way it looks. And I sometimes sorta enjoy sitting squarely beneath a single syllable. Were my written signature legible, one might get the idea that I drop the "an." So when it comes to the profile available to all, "Meg" gets to stay.

Ah! So perhaps "Meg" begins a life of her own. An online alter ego that spouts sarcastic somethings, is constantly cynical, and offends with abandon. But we both know that that's not going to work because my offline self that behaves in that exact manner would find herself confused and bereft over the death of her exclusive identity. And what's an alter ego without the alter, right?

So I get to get used to and be comfortable with total strangers calling me Meg like we've known each other since middle school or been married for going on seven years.

Oh, and no offense intended (seriously), if this is your name (or worse: that of your child), but I was just thinking how pleased I am that my parent's didn't name me Kelsey, not that they considered it or anything like that.

Cheers.

31 comments:

Linda said...

I enjoy reading your blog, a long time reader - first time commenter.

Meg in Norwegian means me. How cool is that. I would love to have a short version of my name that is something totally different in another language.

Maybe Lin means something funny in chinese.

Megan said...

I recently started reading your blog. Totally enjoy it! But as a fellow Megan, I felt compelled to leave a comment.

Personally I prefer my full name. My family, especially my brother, and a few close friends occasionally use Meg, and I don't stop them, but I prefer Megan. That's how I sign everything.

I didn't like my name in grade school. I always wanted the extra H, or even the "exotic" spelling of Meighan (I put that in quotes because, although I believed that then, looking at it now certainly does not look exotic to me. It looks silly. No offense to any Meighans out there.) But now I love it. It's a great name. Not too common as to be boring, but not so out there that nobody can recognize it.

Megan said...

Lin, how cool is that? I am so glad you revealed yourself to give me something else to add to my list of what I like about my name. Takk!

And Megan, I'm thinking of collecting Megans. Whenever I get an email from another Megan or a comment from another Megan I find pleasure dancing around in my mean brain. There's just something special about us, isn't there?

Megan and Keli'i said...

Ha! I totally relate to this email Good one, Shorsha. But, actually, I'm Megs most of the time, which may be annoying to you, but endearing to me, when noted by the right people...namely brothers and the husband.

Megan said...

You nailed it, Megan Naihe: annoying to one is endearing to another. And there's the sweetness that is the stuff of individuality. El Husband calls me Meg most of the time, such that when he uses "Megan," I feel like I'm in trouble or there's an emergency.

Mette said...

Any name starting with an M is a good name. (:

My name is Mette and it doesnt really work shorting it down. Met. Nope. Met surely means something, but nothing worth shouting about. :/ Only time it would be a tiny bit funny is when someone say "I met Met". Ha ha.
Mette on the other hand means "full" as in "I ate a lot". Now that's something to be proud of. ;P

Megan said...

How nice to have met you Met.

And there's nothing wrong with satiation.

Kelly Mo said...

I feel the same way you do about the shortening of the name. When people who don't know me call me "Kel" I feel almost violated in a way. I think that someone has to earn the right to call me "Kel." I feel ya, sista!

Katy said...

Now I'm checking my email to see if I addressed you as Meg or Megan. Anyhoo, I loved this post because my husband and I have a forbidden names list. Any name that has "Mc" for a beginning is a no can do.

Lisa said...

Why don't you ever tell us how you REALLY feel?

:)

I love your blog.
I hate your blog.
You're fascinating.
You're irritating.

I'll be back for more tomorrow.

Lisa said...

By the way, as you see, our blog is private.

I've been visiting your blog for awhile (love your headers and that ashley photog is genious) and, if you are curious, I'll add you to my very important people list.

The obvious is that you will have an opinion about my blog--it's cute and fuzzy and offspring-filled--and oddly, I'm still letting you in.

I'm a glutton for punishment...

Megan said...

Funny, Lisa, I looked and saw that your blog was private. Aw, Bummer. I'd love to be an important person.

Funny thing, I am pretty caustic and harsh on the blog, and I really am too blunt in my fleshed-out existence (one nickname in college was Blunty), but I'm going to go ahead and reveal to you that I'm really quite nice (to those I love, who aren't many) in person. I would rather have my fingernails pulled out than inconvenience anyone; in fact it's one of my more annoying qualities. Drives my sweet mom bananas.

{Erica} said...

I had to stop half way through this post and quickly check our emails back and forth to be sure I didn't call you that. Didn't want to unnerve you.

I've always known you as Megan and think Megan suits you better.

It is a pet peeve of mine to have someone abbreviate a name, especially if you don't really know them.

My oldest daughter's full name is Gabriella. We call her Ella or Gabriella. Other people can call her by those two names as well but if you call her Gabby you're dead to me. Dead I say.

whitneyingram said...

Dirty darn. I thought this blog post was going to be all about stupid names that people choose to name their harmless children.

Sue said...

Meaghanne
Whitknee
Caitelynne
Hayelee
Mallaurie
Laurynne

I could have gotten VERY creative.

Mama Sioux

Misti said...

I completely agree. Though, my mom did venture off and drop the y and put an i in my name. I prefer it with an i, though. It's different enough and not really out there, either.

Misti with an i. ;)

[Morgan] said...

i'm not sure what was more entertaining, the post or the comments.
i'm sure i'm guilty of being a sensible assumer. my mind just does not think about these things i guess.
a megan club? could that possibly include a morgan? DARNit so DAMNed close.

Megan and Keli'i said...

Ha! I like your mom's comment! Silly lady. When I read these, I feel so lucky to know you personally. It's even more a treat! I love how you fascinate and irritate people! Your so...hmmm...what's the adjective....Megan! Yes, and I picked up on the great adjective in our names when the "g" is dropped. I think it suits me AND you, from time to time.

Megan said...

Yes, Megan, my mom is the bestest. Clever and funny.

Like me.

Megan and Keli'i said...

Oh yes, and I have to come clean that I totally wrote "Meg" with my follow up comment on my blog. Hmmm, my apologies, but it was only so people would know to whom I was addressing my comment. Too much commenting on this post. I'm out.

Cunning said...

My gosh you are one whale of a historian. My personal favorite "knapsack of asphalt" oh to have your talents.

Sue said...

I also feel that is it fitting to point out that your name, spelled backwards, is Nag-'em.

Very appropriate.

Not planned - just a happy accident.

Lisa said...

#1 I did add you to my blog, in case of interest.

#2 The witty apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

aezra noell said...

I just have to say that I utterly enjoy(can't figure why) reading remarks from sparks. I think its b/c its something I admire about being blunt...i have too b/c being blunt/forward/open whatever...is something that imbalances my nature...adn I find that it hurts me more than it hurts whomever or visa versa. i love how you write and express yourself...when i read your blog, i feel as though I am your evil step sister prying into your secrectly stashed diary that you've kept hidden under your bed. lol. how you spill out all the truths inside yourself and that this notepad is the place to vent. but obviously its a blog and your not private, not yet. and i am happy for that. keep on spillin' megan.

Andrea said...

Just so you know, I love my Easton, which is an odd name....but it fits him, so I'm cool with it! :)

Megan said...

Oh, Andrea, you nutball: Easton is plenty normal. I'm talking crazy made up names like I referenced. And with your Easton, thing is, it suits him and his heritage quite well.

SO excited to see you this weekend!

Anonymous said...

Funny story, the same thing happens to me. No, my name isn't Meg, or Megan. It's Cassie. Online I am Cass. My family and close close friends call me Cass. Interesting.

Stefany said...

I totally get what you're saying. I have a few friends who have made me think, “Why would you do that to your kid?”

I love how my name is spelled though. It is different and people spell it wrong often. But I have to say...it is phonetically correct! It’s funny when I go to Jamba Juice or somewhere else where they ask my name, I always spell it out. If someone puts “stephanie” it’s not even name to me.


I read your blog often, just never commented before! I’m Norm’s cousin! And, if you click on my blog, you’ll find all the things you love….tons of pictures of my kids, some almost exactly the same, but from a different angle, etc. But I have to do that, I’m in Utah and my WHOLE family is in California!
On the other hand, I posted a picture last night that was not so cute (although I did change it to sepia to help a little) and fought the urge to excuse my imperfections!

Anonymous said...

at least your name hasn't been made into a dirty nick name, or you have been nick named COBRA by the entire singles ward.

I wasn't even named after the car...

and shlong is just not appropriate.

oh and lets think shelbster, shulbs, shelbs, any others?

meg is pretty, it reminds me of hercules.

Shelby Lou. - best name ever- bad side affects.

Kar said...

Holy crap I just realized your name is Meg on my side bar.

Awkward.

cat+tadd=sam said...

I, like Kar, have you named "Meg" on my sidebar. But I'm family, so I can do whatever the "H" (for Mom) I want.