My Name
My mother was 17 years old when I was born. She was a Nun who had fallen to lusts of the flesh during a retreat to Rome in 1965. The last 3 months of her pregnancy she lived in a community home for "un-wed mothers". Nuns from her convent would visit and "fellowship" with her, showing her actual pictures of the fires of Hell. After a visit where one of the Nuns passionately retold the story of Moses, my Mom decided to give me up for adoption. The first 45 days of my life my legal name was Baby Boy Grant. My Dad's last name is Grant--the man who coaxed one of Christ's brides away from the arms of God.
At least I’m not named after the dog...
A.E.I.O.U. And sometimes Y. My favorite letters--the vowels. They make a word come alive. They are the oxygen, the catalyst and the feminine life force of a word. My name only has two vowels and one of them is a wimpy, sometimes on-the-clock vowel. This puzzled me as a kid and made me wish my name was more symphonic, more harmonic and had two vowels that "walked together"--something I had learned in school.
Why did you name me my name?" I asked Momma as a kid, wondering what the story might be. I was fascinated with old things and particularly the well worn stories that went along with the objects I would often bring home. I hoped that there was some really interesting tale that helped secure my mythology as a beautiful reincarnated Victorian gentle woman.
"Well, at least you're not named after the dog," she replied to my question. "Daddy wanted to name you after his dog, and I was scared that would happen," Momma said. "The dog?" I asked, skeptical of this idea. The dog was a shaggy shepherd mix named Lushus. Really?...I thought to myself this must be a tall tale meant to shut me up and move me along, but it wasn't. Daddy confirmed this was a battle he wished he'd won. She told me about the arguments they had engaged in and how they ended up with naming me after my father's favorite cousin.
I still wish I had more vowels in my name and at times wonder about the path my life would have taken had I walked this earth bearing the moniker of a well loved shaggy dog.
