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