My granddaughter works the front desk at a rural hospital. She saw a new mom being released with her newborn, and they conversed while she waited for her ride. Ashley asked what the baby's name was and the young girl said, "I finally just decided on a name a few minutes ago. I named her Podj-jah-mah."
Ashley asked, "Oh, is that French?"
The girl replied, "I don't know, I saw it written on one of the cabinet doors, and I liked the way it sounded."
The quiet, older, very dignified woman who works with Ashley turned around and almost choked when she realized what the young mother had named her baby.
When the new mom left, Ashley's coworker stood up, slapped her desk and roared, "Ashley, she named the baby PA-JA-MA. Pajama!"
I laughed; I cringed; I pitied the young mother, but think of what that poor baby will have to deal with.
Now, here's something for you writers to deal with. All of us have a story to tell.
Glass Woman Prize
http://bit.ly/javfBe
Deadline: September 21, 2011
NO ENTRY FEE
“The Tenth Glass Woman Prize will be awarded for a work of short fiction or creative non-fiction (prose) written by a woman. Length: between 50 and 5,000 words. The top prize for the tenth Glass Woman Prize award is US $500 and possible (but not obligatory) online publication; there will also be one runner up prize of $100 and one runner up prize of $50, together with possible (but not obligatory) online publication. Subject is open, but must be of significance to women. The criterion is passion, excellence, and authenticity in the woman’s writing voice. Previously published work and simultaneous submissions are OK. Authors retain all copyright is retained by the author.”
9 comments:
Oh my. I heard of a baby named Fe-Mah-Lay. The mom saw it written on the pink card taped to her baby's hospital crib and thought the nurses had named the baby for her.
"Female Smith"
Hi Carol,
I had a co teacher once whose police officer husband also told me about "Female". Thanks for stopping by.
What a story...the kid has a rough road ahead with that moniker!
Glad you are back on your old stomping grounds!
Oh, poor little thing. But, hey...She could go by PJ! And thanks for the info on the writing submission! Never heard of that one! I didn't realize you were home. I'm still behind in my blog reading and commenting. I might as well give up! :)
Oh my goodness - I know what I want to say - but I won't!
One year I worked in a tiny rural school in western Missouri. There were less than 100 students total in K-12. I had a second-grade boy named cashmere. Only it was spelled Kasimir. His siblings had regular rural Missouri names, so I don't know what was up with little blue-eyed, towheaded Kasimir. It was fun to hear the kids holler his name on the playground.
Thanks for the contest tip!
Hey, didn't Michael Jackson name one of his sons "Blanket," or was that a nickname?
Yes, there are all sorts of weird names. If parents would imagine their children as adults, and give them names they can grow old with, there would be less girls named Princess.
And if parents would not name their kids after their favorite beverage (Champagne, Tequila) or car (Lexus)...well, who knows if anything would be different or any "better," (said a girl named Sioux).
There's not a lot you can say to a name like that really, is there?! Poor little soul!
If mama had kept her pajamas on, this entire naming thing would have been unnecessary.
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