Names are my Playground
With the exception of my own name
When meeting you for the first time
I will get your first name and eventually your middle name. I will roll the words around on my tongue. Do they fit well together? What happens when you look at the initials? Is your name a palindrome? Is your middle name an ancient relative’s last name? Did your parents not like you?
I offer up my name for your consideration.
I was born with the initials HLP. Look at those initials. If you are given a sentence with some of the letters missing, your brain automatically fills in letters to form complete words. Is your brain adding in the letter “E?” Yep, that’s right. My initials make everyone think “help!”
When I was old enough to call my parents out on this, they just shrugged, left the room, and somewhere deep in the house, I heard boisterous laughter. They knew what they were doing.
Blindsided by a backward reverse
Years later, I have shed those initials. Now I’m HL. No flounces, no frills, no silliness. Life is straightforward and simple.
It turns out, however, karma doesn’t like to keep her hands to herself. Recently, I joined my first town board. With the town board responsibilities, I received a board email. My address is leeh@boardemail.
Do you see it yet? I may have been able to shed the “help” of my past, but I don’t feel I should be a backward “heel” in a professional setting.
Have any suggestions?
I’m considering another name change.
