What's In A Name?

                There has been some buzz lately about name changes.  There are many reasons why one would want to be called something other than their real name.  Marriage is one reason.  While there are many women who prefer to retain their maiden names after they marry, there are also a great many women who get pretty emotional about changing their name to that of their groom.  They practice saying it out loud when they are alone.  They practice writing it down for months before the wedding. It has an emotional impact on them.

                It used to be pretty generally accepted that we had to live with the name our parents gave us.  That, of course, is not always pretty, so some people end up using their middle names, leaving only their parents to call them by their birth names.  I know a guy who has always been called by his middle name.  I assumed it was because he shared the same first, middle and last name with his father, but didn’t want to be called Junior.  It turned out people also called his father by his middle name, so I don’t really know how doing the same for him solved anything.  Some people have their names changed by their friends.  Most people called Red, Curly or Shortly didn’t just show up at school one day and ask to be called by any of those descriptors.  My father-in-law has a first and middle name that were perfectly acceptable in his day, but which sound pretty out of date today, Wilbur Harold.  When he was in the army, his buddies decided that he would be called Tommy, short for Thompson.  But they didn’t do this because they didn’t like calling him Wilbur.  They did it because there was another soldier in the same outfit whose name was Wilbert.  This was too confusing for the privates of the Greatest Generation, so Wilbur had to become Tommy. 

                There are religious reasons for changing one’s name.  In biblical times, names were given because they were meaningful.  The name reflected the character of the person.  Abram meant “father of many.”  His name was changed to Abraham, “father of multitudes” because of the promise God made concerning his legacy.  People today sometimes change their names for religious reasons.  I remember when Cassius Clay became Mohammed Ali (beloved of Allah).  I knew a young man in high school who successfully convinced everyone to call him Christian after he became a Christian.  Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul Jabar (generous servant of Allah).  This list could go on for many lines.

                More philosophical than religious, Ron Artest’s reasons for changing his name to Metta World Peace have nothing to do with the Buddhist religion, from which is derived the word Metta.  It means something almost indefinable, but can probably be adequately summed up as “love, kindness, peace.”  His real reason for the name change may be more attributable to his ego and to wanting to keep up with the Joneses.  His friend, Chad Johnson, changed his name to Ochocinco (85) to match the number on his wide receiver’s jersey.  So, naturally, Artest had to change his name.  Incidentally, Metta wasn’t Ron’s first choice for his name change.  He toyed with One Love, but his friends thought it sounded corny.  Metta World Peace didn’t sound as corny?  On April 24^th, Mr. World Peace viciously elbowed James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunders, causing him to exit the game with a concussion.  This is the sort of behavior Ron Artest was known for, even reveled in, but it doesn't seem fitting for Metta World Peace.  The name change doesn’t seem to have resulted in any change in the basic character of man.  World peace ought to begin with the individual claiming to desire it.  Besides, this name should have been reserved for the next Miss America to use.

                This week I learned that a California man, Benjamin Cale Feit, legally changed his name to Obiwan Kenobi in order to win a $1,000 prize offered by a radio station.  The Star Wars character was known for being a wise Jedi who used the Force to keep the universe in balance.  The 37-year-old Roseville, California man is known for being arrested this past week and charged with felony hit-and-run.  He already had an outstanding warrant for petty theft.  Again, the name change apparently meant nothing more than a way to earn a little money.

                There have been many books, articles and blogs written about the importance of the names given to children.  A name can make a child’s life a blessing or bring them grief.  Sometimes a humorous name can actually help the child in some situations, but this is risky.  There is a reporter on the radio whose name is Justin Case.  Not too radical, and a little humorous.  But the Johnny Cash song about the boy named Sue, while funny, also is a sad example of what harm thoughtless parents can cause a child.

                So, I believe I’ll stick with Tom.  I’ve been called other things, including Flame, Freckles, Dumb Kid and Fuzz Beard.  Fortunately, none of them stuck.  However, the effects of one of them did stick with me and has caused me difficulty my entire life.  But here is my point in all of this: A change of name is not the same as a change of character.  If you want to change your name, change your character first, since that is the real name by which people will remember you.

Thought About Your Esophagus Lately?

                          

From 

This        to        This     

 

           

             I am somewhat reluctant to allow too much personal information out on the internet, though I have very few things I feel a need to hide from anyone.  It just makes more sense to be stingy with information than overly liberal with it.  However, sometimes a little personal experience can be helpful to others.  This is one of those incidences.

                I recently sat down with a doctor for a consultation prior to my 10-year colonoscopy.  I have been told, and believe, that everyone over 50 should get one every decade.  Those with a family history of colon cancer should get one every 5 years.  While the doctor was interviewing me, I mentioned that I was taking omeprozole (generic for Prilosec) every other day for frequent heartburn.  I’m not sure when I began this regimen, but it has been years, and before that I kept Tums or Rolaids close at hand.  The doctor suggested that while she had me in the hospital taking pictures of the rear end, she ought to get some pictures of the front end.  After I got her assurance that she would clean the scope first, I agreed.

                A couple of weeks after the procedures I returned to her office for the results.  You will be happy to know the pictures of my colon were beautiful!  However, my esophagus did not look quite so nice.  The lining of one portion was gone, exposing the raw, pink flesh underneath.  Next to that area were two little circles she referred to as “changes.”  She put a name to this condition; Barrett’s esophagus.  Left untreated it could very well lead to cancer.

                My life has changed.  Gone is chocolate, peppermint and as much dietary fat as I can eliminate.  No more caffeine or alcohol.  Citrus fruit is out.  No more OJ for breakfast.  While I may eat tomatoes, tomato sauce is a huge no-no.  Apparently, the acid in tomatoes is no big deal until it is all concentrated in a sauce.  There goes my beloved Italian foods and Mexican foods.  Many spices, of course, must be eliminated, including pepper, a spice I used heavily instead of adding more salt to my diet.  Basically, I must now eat like a Norwegian; a pretty bland diet.

                Now, here’s the part of this blog you must take very seriously.  This condition is caused by acid reflux.  You’ve seen all the commercials for products designed to treat this condition.  If you read the warnings on the boxes, you’ll see instructions indicating you are not to take that medication for more than two weeks.  My GP told me that is not because there is danger in prolonged use of, say, omeprozole, but because if you need it for a longer period than that, you should be consulting with your doctor to see if you have a more serious condition. 

                My doctor (the specialist) is not very talkative, so I was forced to surf the net for more information about this condition.  It seems that many people have acid reflux without even knowing it.  I was always very aware of that burning sensation when I would eat a chocolate chip cookie a couple of hours prior to lying down on my bed.  But a significant number of people don’t get that burning sensation, or not very often.  There are many people like me, however, who have recurring heartburn for years, but never do anything about it other than eating antacids like they are candy.

                Please, don’t mess with acid reflux.  If you are having recurring heartburn, see a doctor.  Get a picture of your esophagus.  If it is beautiful, rejoice.  It was time and money well spent.  But if it shows something else, you can get started right away making it better. 

Junior High Reunion: Memories and Lack Thereof

 Jefferson Junior High School
Long Beach, California
Class of 1966
Northern California Reunion
In Picture to the Left:
Tom, Linda, Jim
Gary, Becky, Phyllis, Don, Larry
Dennis, Barb, Patti, Mike, Mark
Armando, Victor

The picture to the right is missing Armando, but has Rick (center-seated), and some spouses.  Taken at Railtown in Jamestown, CA.

                I was a little skeptical when I first heard about the idea.  Many people attend and enjoy high school reunions decades after they have graduated.  But how many people get together with the people they hung out with in junior high?  But the prospect intrigued me.  As I thought about it, I realized that even though everyone in our junior high school also attended the same high school, the culture of our junior high was quite different from those of the other junior highs that fed our high school.  Our group had a unique identity.  After some serious thought about how many other things I could be doing that weekend, I decided I would attend.  It wasn’t actually designed to be a full-fledged reunion, just a small get together with those who lived in the Northern California area.  However, a couple of alumni came from Southern California and one from Texas.  So, Friday evening, there we were, a bunch of mostly grey-haired sixty-somethings shaking hands and trying to place faces with names with memories.

                Knowing there were going to be all political positions represented, I determined before traveling to Sonora, California, that I would do what I could to avoid arguments.  The purpose of this get-together, after all, seemed to be reminiscence, reconnection and re-acquaintance.  I managed to avoid it all Friday evening and most of Saturday morning.  But then I found myself sitting right in the middle of a lively discussion about Obamacare.  I listened with my mouth shut until the subject of funding abortion came up.  I couldn’t let it pass, but I tried to be non-emotional, even analytical when I suggested that the discussion about funding was missing some essential, more philosophical considerations.  I sensed some emotion in the response I received, and I was beginning to feel some emotion rise in me as well, but the whole matter was ended by the call to gather in the parking lot for a group picture.

                Most of the conversations did center around some of the stupid things we did as junior highers.  Everybody took turns bringing up their own versions of various antics, participation is singing or sports activities, student government and extra-curricular activities.  The school staff were remembered for their leniency, harshness or being hauled off in handcuffs.  Former students, not present at our little reunion, were discussed.  Most of these events were either fuzzy memories or brand new information to me.  To me, junior high school consisted of three years of self-absorption, insecurity and acting out.  Everything I did and said was predicated upon one assumption; this will get someone to like me.  The only way I would ever want to relive those years, should some actual time machine be invented, is if I could take with me the knowledge I have today.  I will say, though, it was fun listening to everyone else’s versions of reality.  I missed most of it when I was actually there.

                I am not an outgoing, social person.  I have always felt a little uncomfortable around people I don’t know, probably because I’m still concerned they won’t like me or that they would not have any interest in getting to know me, and I’d rather avoid any attacks on my ego.  Interestingly, I actually enjoy hearing about other people’s lives; what they have done, what they are doing now and what they plan to do.  When that group of people consists of folks I already have some connection with, I am even more interested.  This past weekend I was amazed at the variety of directions everyone’s lives have taken.  There were many different levels of education, a myriad of careers in government work, education, private enterprise, and an interesting conglomeration of personal interests.  How did I not know that for these past 46 years?

                Reunions don’t have to be all about the past.  That part is fun, but it can grow old quickly.  Getting to know people and what they are currently experiencing is much more interesting to me.  Fortunately, this particular reunion had a good mix of both. 

                So, Barb and Phyllis, thanks for setting it all up.  And thank-you, all of you fellow Jeffersonites (or Jeffersonians?), who decided to sacrifice time and money to attend.  I truly enjoyed talking with each of you.  Let’s do this again in 45 years.