What's in a name....
I have a very cool name. My whole name is Miss Shelley Ann Ireland.
My name is more than a name to me, it is my mantra and says who I am in more ways than just the legal way.
I will break down my name for you. Even though I have been married, I will always go by Miss. It has nothing to do with a lack of commitment to feminism. It is just that I have always wanted to be a beauty queen. This way, I will always be Miss Ireland. It sounds silly but it has given me confidence when I enter a new room in my life. I am Miss Ireland. It is my Halloween costume every year and a good conversation starter !
My first name is Shelley and I like this name because I was named after a gas station. It is true. My father was 55+ plus when I was born. He had already had 4 children. My mother was in her 30s and didn't really know she was pregnant. She was a consummate party girl who drank too much, smoke too much, and just generally did too much of everything, however, she did receive no prenatal care. She went to the doctor after experiencing back pain. Her doctor was reluctant to prescribe her anything as it turns out she was in labour ! My parents were convinced that this birth just wasn\t going to work out. I was born and they still weren\t convinced that this was going to work out. A day later, I was still healthy and it looked like it was going to work out for me. My father had already used up all the derivatives of his on his previous four children and they really hadn't considered any other options. It just so happened that my parents owned a Shell gas station at the time. The solution was obvious. They named me Shelley after the gas station. I am forever grateful that they didn't own a Texaco station.
Even though my name is actually Shelley, my father called me that ever. I was always Shell to him. Infact, my only blood relative who ever referred to me as Shelley was my mother and only when she was really angry. I have always been Shell to people who know me well.
When people meet me, they refer to me as Shelley. After a friendship has progressed, they refer to me as Shell. That is how I know that we have crossed the \\acquaintance" level of a friendship and moved to the more trusted friend status. Adversely, if you never call me Shell, that means our relationship will just never progress. I am concerned when people call e Shell too early in our relationship. That probably means you are taking a boundary away before I am ready to allow you that intimacy. You are a person who is likely going to take advantage of me in other ways.
I also pay attention when people are spelling my name.
My middle name is Ann. That was the name of my maternal grandmother. She passed when I was 3 and I understand that I was her whole world for those three years. I don't have many memories of her, but I've been told that she fearlessly spoke her mind and lived life on her terms. Sounds like a great woman and I have been honoured to be chosen to carry on this legacy. Unlike Anne of Green Gables, I love that it doesn't have an "e". I prefer the simple over the complicated. I prefer classic over trendy.
My last name is Ireland and it was my father's name. It was important to him that I never change my name and that my name is a key part of my identity and that I always stand proud to inherit his name. As my father was the greatest influence on my life, I am proud that I will always be his living legacy. And it has always been an instant ice-breaker when I meet new people. No, I am not Irish, no, I wasn't born in Ireland, etc. I tell people the truth. I identify myself as a Ukrainian as it was my mother's cultural heritage that was most prominent for me growing up. I always end up having long conversations that start with my name. It is my name that has influenced me to be an extrovert.
It has been my observation that people become their names. If you go to a social gathering and there are two women you don't know, you can likely observe and tell which one is "Candy" and which one is "Candace".
Your name is an important part of your identity. What's in your name?
My name is more than a name to me, it is my mantra and says who I am in more ways than just the legal way.
I will break down my name for you. Even though I have been married, I will always go by Miss. It has nothing to do with a lack of commitment to feminism. It is just that I have always wanted to be a beauty queen. This way, I will always be Miss Ireland. It sounds silly but it has given me confidence when I enter a new room in my life. I am Miss Ireland. It is my Halloween costume every year and a good conversation starter !
My first name is Shelley and I like this name because I was named after a gas station. It is true. My father was 55+ plus when I was born. He had already had 4 children. My mother was in her 30s and didn't really know she was pregnant. She was a consummate party girl who drank too much, smoke too much, and just generally did too much of everything, however, she did receive no prenatal care. She went to the doctor after experiencing back pain. Her doctor was reluctant to prescribe her anything as it turns out she was in labour ! My parents were convinced that this birth just wasn\t going to work out. I was born and they still weren\t convinced that this was going to work out. A day later, I was still healthy and it looked like it was going to work out for me. My father had already used up all the derivatives of his on his previous four children and they really hadn't considered any other options. It just so happened that my parents owned a Shell gas station at the time. The solution was obvious. They named me Shelley after the gas station. I am forever grateful that they didn't own a Texaco station.
Even though my name is actually Shelley, my father called me that ever. I was always Shell to him. Infact, my only blood relative who ever referred to me as Shelley was my mother and only when she was really angry. I have always been Shell to people who know me well.
When people meet me, they refer to me as Shelley. After a friendship has progressed, they refer to me as Shell. That is how I know that we have crossed the \\acquaintance" level of a friendship and moved to the more trusted friend status. Adversely, if you never call me Shell, that means our relationship will just never progress. I am concerned when people call e Shell too early in our relationship. That probably means you are taking a boundary away before I am ready to allow you that intimacy. You are a person who is likely going to take advantage of me in other ways.
I also pay attention when people are spelling my name.
My middle name is Ann. That was the name of my maternal grandmother. She passed when I was 3 and I understand that I was her whole world for those three years. I don't have many memories of her, but I've been told that she fearlessly spoke her mind and lived life on her terms. Sounds like a great woman and I have been honoured to be chosen to carry on this legacy. Unlike Anne of Green Gables, I love that it doesn't have an "e". I prefer the simple over the complicated. I prefer classic over trendy.
My last name is Ireland and it was my father's name. It was important to him that I never change my name and that my name is a key part of my identity and that I always stand proud to inherit his name. As my father was the greatest influence on my life, I am proud that I will always be his living legacy. And it has always been an instant ice-breaker when I meet new people. No, I am not Irish, no, I wasn't born in Ireland, etc. I tell people the truth. I identify myself as a Ukrainian as it was my mother's cultural heritage that was most prominent for me growing up. I always end up having long conversations that start with my name. It is my name that has influenced me to be an extrovert.
It has been my observation that people become their names. If you go to a social gathering and there are two women you don't know, you can likely observe and tell which one is "Candy" and which one is "Candace".
Your name is an important part of your identity. What's in your name?
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