Pages

Sunday 26 April 2015

‘A Blog By Any Other Name’ / Mare's Musings

I find it interesting how people say ‘Your name suits you so well’ or ‘ I couldn’t imagine you with another name’. I mean think about, if your name has been Melissa for 25 years and suddenly you changed it to Renee, it would take people some getting used to and people would probably struggle with seeing you as a ‘Renee’ instead of a Melissa and say things like ‘Renee just doesn’t suit you, you are such a Melissa’.

But what if you had always been ‘Renee’ but for some unknown reason, always went by ‘Melissa’, which, is in fact, your middle name. You only seem like a ‘Melissa’ because people have only ever known you as ‘Melissa’. It doesn’t really matter what your name is, people can’t imagine you as some other name because you’ve always been Your name. I always wanted to call my first born daughter Kiralee but for reasons I won’t go into, she became Kylie and people always say it suits her so well and they can’t imagine her being anything else, but, if I had had my way and called her Kiralee, then they would be saying the same thing about that name. You get my drift? No? Well, never mind, I tend to have these rambling, incoherent thoughts from time to time.
The cover of Mum's Major Work 

I only mention names because of the issue of naming this Blog. I’ve thought about starting a blog for quite awhile now and the name that always came to mind was ‘People Colour My Life’ because that is the name my mother gave to her Major Work for her degree in Communication, a collection of stories, poems and anecdotes based on her observations of people she encountered throughout her life and as I wanted to post some of her stories on the site, it seemed like an appropriate and fitting name and in some ways a tribute to Mum.

But when it came to actually choosing the name when I started to build the Blog, I hesitated and thought of a whole lot of other names that I could possibly call it such as, ‘I Was Just Thinking’ (not very original), or, ‘Merrion’s Ministrations’ (Hmmmmm). Then I chewed over ‘Mare’s Musings’ or ‘The Musings of Mare’. I toyed with ‘The Mare of St Andrews’ (my nickname is Mare and I live in St Andrews), and ‘Much Ado About Everything’ (I’m sure Shakespeare won’t turn in his grave at my poetic licence). I tried on ‘What Are The Chances’ (said in a real nasally, high pitched kinda way) and ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Insanity’ was definitely on the list (I did raise 5 children after all), and in the running was ‘Fair Dinkum!’ (I once knew someone who used to call me Fair Dinkum because I said it so often. Still Do) and so it went on.

But I kept coming back to ‘People Colour my Life’ because, well, that’s what I’d always thought I’d call a Blog if I ever had one and I just couldn’t imagine it being any other name. I’d grown used to thinking about my blog as that name and as much as I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that nothing else would suit quite as well. So I stuck with  ‘People Colour My Life’ with The Musings of Mare tacked on for the description thanks to my daughter Kylie’s suggestion.

So maybe my opening observations aren’t strictly correct, because you know, I really can’t imagine this Blog by any other name. Thanks Mum!

Cheers


Mare

8 comments:

  1. Great blog name and interesting to hear the story behind it. My mother in law has always used her middle name. It suits her and I couldn't imagine calling her by her first name.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there and thanks. I know a lot of people who go by their middle name rather than given name. I'm loving getting comments so I can see other people's blogs as well. So interesting. Cheers

      Delete
  2. I like the title you chose and it has a special meaning for you, so it's perfect. I am really bad at titles myself. I started my blog as Ness Of Boganville because I thought it was an amusing pun of Tess of The D'urbervilles. Eventually I decided I was far too classy for the bogan theme (ahem), but I couldn't think of another title so I just literally took the 'bogan' bit out and it became Nessville. Happy writing/blogging!
    PS. Kiralee is a pretty name.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Ness, Nice to meet you. I do love the name Kiralee but sadly it wasn't to be. I just snuck over to your blog and had a little read. You do have a talent for writing! Interesting to hear you have Aspergers. My son has it also. Good on you stepping out with the TAFE course. All the best with it. Cheers

      Delete
  3. Choosing a blog name is probably even harder than choosing a name for your child! Our Mr 21 next month is thinking he would rather be known by his middle name now he is grown. Yes, the name we picked so lovingly all those years ago is apparently "babyish" and not suitable for a grown man. *Sigh*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree Janet. And at least you can change a blog name if you want to I guess lol. Loved your interview with Leo Sayer. Love his music. Cheers

      Delete
  4. My nanna has always been known as her second name. Her Dad seemed to like that better, so that's what she's been called ever since. It seems to have been a popular occurance for her generation. I recently went to the funeral of one of m husbands aunties, and I had no idea that her real name was Joyce. I'd known her as Yvonne, her second name. I love the idea behind you blog name. I also recognise those little girls in your header! Welcome to the blogosphere :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Alicia. I'm very blessed to have those little girls in my life, and their mother. Cheers

      Delete