WHaT iS iN mY NaME ????
a feW weeKs after biRTH< mY PRimary-identifying-naMe was aSCRibed affiXed and aTTACHed…
iT is a reallY niCe-lovely-lady-sort-oF naME. iT dosN’T-RESonaTE-WiTh “the-mE-I-aM”
I liVed in my GRanDPareNTs houSe with GRAnDFaTher and UNCles so-PRouD-of-FAMilY-NamE
LEarNing tO wRITe mY NaME beFOre goinG-tO-ScHooL
— I wAS sad to find haVinG an-absent-faTHeR’s LAst-NaME and NOt thaT oF my GRanDPARenTs
a floWER-GiRl in their-weddING CERTainLY gaVe me-the-riGHT to haVe My-DAD’s LAst naME TOO !!
THe adoPTion to-make-leGaL followed
a wedding of-my-own New-naME
tHE DIVorCE – I left-his-name + took-on-my-SOns’ = same last-name
WEnt to coLLEgE – Got AWards & DeGree in saMe LaST-Name
ConSiDeR : NeW first name = (sound< feminine) + (written>masqulin)
mY moTHeR gives Quinn (to use w/ saMe LasT-Name )
MY-NeVER-marry-AGain-LasT-NaME
my-bR Ake- doWN–wriTiNG-MaSTEr’s-teSIS—lAst-name
AN-InTeresTiNG-CoLLeGe-friEND < becOMES LoVeR <beCoMeS liVe-IN <becomes helP-MaTE<
< BECoMes HuSBAND : MY perfect life’s-traVeling-comPaniON = NEW-LAST-NaME
NOt one name here REPResenTed the-mE-that-is–I-aM
THen deFunKeD and baffLED – I hanD-MaKe jeWELRy NEEd a NaMe to marKET UNDer
I asKED THE SPirTs to-giVe-mE a fIRSt – naME To woRk undER
I USEd my colleGe – pocKEt – dicTioNARy the pages-fluttered MY FiNGeR – foUND the spot
” META ” : the deFFINitions fiT-the-me-insiDE : I HAd my-fiRST -NaMe : My-PHeoniX-soRt-of-nAMe
a-LaSt- naMe ??? diD I NEed onE ? ? Did I WANt oNe ??? ALWays-in-thE-BACk-of-mY-miND -d eVeN if I chooSE a-LasT-NAme from anY of the women in MY-Mother’S liNE it wouLD-still be a patriaRCHaL namE A NAMe thaT SHoweD OwneRSHIP!!!!!! I’D haVE NOnE oF THaT !!!!! !!!!! ! ! ! !! STiLL ,,,, I WaNTEd my naMe to be connected to aLL the people that had come before me and influenced the way-I-greW-UP – and – WHAt I LeARNed …..
After decades – I came to choose the name of the CiTY where both-sides-of-mY-mOTHeR’s family came to settle in the 1850’s, and OuR lines have remained. It is also the name of the BaY we sit beside & have wandered. THis I TaKe as ‘mY’ adult – name.
MeTa Quinne Sandusky