Monday, November 21, 2005

What's In a Name?

I wonder. Have you taken a look at all the clever names people come up with for their blogs? A few blogs from people I know include Ovations, The Refrigerator Door, and Insert Witty Title Here. I mean, with names like those, who wouldn't want to read?

And then there was me. RyanBruner. Not even RyanBruner. But ryanbruner. Who wants to read from a blog named after a guy you don't even know anything about? I mean, why not go read a blog by johnny, or Mrs. Smith? I guess I'm not the person to answer that, since, frankly, I think Ryan Bruner is an altogether fascinating, witty, and good-looking fellow that's always worth reading about.

But I still wonder. Would people flock to my blog if it had a different name? Like, well...I don't know. Because if I had any idea of a better name, I would have used it! (Although, I once was partial to being called "Rashio", which rhymes with "ratio". Of course, I was only eight at the time.)

Which brings me to my work-in-progress. As it turns out, when I started, I wasn't all that particular about some of the names of characters. I picked a name that just seemed right and went with it. Nothing special, really. But later, I, for various reasons, needed to change a few names. Suddenly the name that was "nothing special" I can't part with. I've spent too long with the character with that name. How can I envision them as anyone else without also re-envisioning their character?

Names are rather powerful things, I guess. I mean, I remember a few people from my childhood I just didn't like very much. To this day, I associate the name with the character of the person I knew as a kid. Sometimes that a good thing, sometimes bad.

And what's the point of all this discussion about names? Well, there really is none. I know, in the past, I usually wrap up such a post with some life-altering revelation about what it all means (uh...okay, perhaps now, but I'd like to think so). But today, I'm just not in the mood to think about the implications of what's in a name and the grand scheme of life. I hope you understand.

I do hope to update you next time on the status of two my sons. One involving yet another hospital visit, and the other the results of his testing. Until then...Adios!