CALLING ME?

YOU'RE GOING TO CALL ME WHAT?

 

If I had been born talking I think my first sentence might have been...

'You're going to call me what?' 

 

Mother was 20 years old when I was born and she loved romantic novels; that's where she ran across a name she liked for me...it really was a defense mechanism on her part.  You see, my dad wanted to name me Betty Lou...mother wanted no part of that since it was the name of one of his former girlfriends...can't blame her for that, I might have done the same thing.  She won but she wisely allowed my dad to use Lou for my middle name.  When Michael really wants to 'get my goat' he uses 'Vasca Lou'...grrr!

 

It's nice that mother won out on nixing the name 'Betty' because one of M's former girlfriends was also a Betty...oops! 

 

For a long time I really didn't care for my name 'cause the response was always, HUH?  Yep, it's unusual but it grew on me.  I pronounce it slowly and distinctively when introducing myself to newbies...also tell them to just think of  'Alaska' which helps until someone forgets and calls me Alaska next time around. 

 

I'm the oldest of five Smith children...thankfully I was first...mother named my siblings Jane, Don, Ron and John (and John married Mary).  What a switch, yes?  

 

Married life came and I was surrounded by males for a long time...boy genes are rampant w/the Beall's.  On top of that even our dogs have all been males.  Before we entered military life we lived here: and we had a large yard which Michael took advantage of. 

                                                                                            We had NO extra money so he (behind my back) obtained two pointer's for hunting partners...doesn't every man need hunting dogs if they hunt?  Okay, he built them a lovely chain-link pen in our backyard...those two dogs were very contented.  I was not a happy camper over what I considered a large/foolish expense involved...oh well.  When you've no extra?  Anything can be formidable, right?                   

Incidentally, I am NOT the boss person in our home...I like the way Rita Radner put it: "When I eventually met Mr. Right I didn't know his first name was Always." Get it?  Always Right?   Wonder what it's like at your house...is he always right? 

 

Back to the dog fence...having a somewhat guilty conscience (wonder why) he graciously allowed me to name the two dogs;  Bill Cosby said, "Always end the name of your child in a vowel, so that when you yell the name will carry."  Okay, I was a busy wife and mom...had no time to read about Bill Cosby so none of our boys names end in a vowel.  Nor did I use that criteria when I named the dogs Pat and Mike...was I being vindictive?  Hmm.

 

Of course M asked why in the world did I name one of them after him..."Sweetheart, I named him that so I could yell at him any time I wanted, especially when I was exasperated w/you!"

Pat and Mike

 

Time to change gears...while this post is factual it's a tad 'tongue in cheek' about names but names are important.   I knew a young girl named Jezebel.  Last week I met a Jesus.

 

To me, the most important issue is what's inside the person with the name.  I like this quote from The Message: "A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich; a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank." Proverbs 22:1

 

There's much rabble rousing these days about Christians, Muslim, Republicans, Democrats, Tea Party, Liberals, Conservatives, Agnostics...people in and out of authority...lots of 'name calling'.  Not really a nice way to behave but society has changed...some for the better, some for the worse.  Who's to say?  Well, it all depends on whose side you're on.  What ever happened to the sterling reputations, the gracious spirits anyway? 

 

I like the name 'Christian'...and I pray that I have a sterling reputation...one of integrity.  Like the proverb says, "it's better than money in the bank"...banks don't pay much interest these days so that's a bummer. 

 

What's really in a name anyway?  To me what matters is when my name is mentioned something good comes to mind.  I want our children to be proud of their name...remember where and who it came from.  It doesn't always happen that way with people...some are ashamed of their names...ashamed of their heritage. 

 

One of my great grandfathers lived a dual life; meaning he had two families that he kept secret from each other.  Michael learned later in his life that his grandmother was not his grandfathers first wife...and that was when 'divorce' was a really big no-no. 

 

Family backgrounds are from one end of the spectrum to the other...always have been...guess they always will be...history is known to repeat itself.

 

There's a saying that goes something like this..."working for God doesn't pay much but the retirement plan is out of this world".  All depends on what is identified as 'pay'...my heart has one key and God has it; how could I be any other way but totally happy with my life. 

 

I feel assured, contented and at peace!  He has me covered and you know what else?  He loves me as if I were His only child and I think He loves my name, so do I. 

 

Hmm, I wonder if I'm His only Vasca child.  You think? 

 

From my heart...to yours!

Vasca