What’s in a name?

February 10, 2014

 

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My name is…well, what IS my name?

Spammers think it’s CLARE.  That’s who they write to when they email me. CLARE.  If this CLARE took spammers up on half the stuff she’s been offered she’d have a walk-in closet full of Viagra and Xanax, a $21 million dollar inheritance and some really fun porn.  Yes, CLARE’s a lucky girl.

But my name isn’t CLARE.

CASSANDRA is another way common name I’m called. In Greek mythology CASSANDRA was given the gift of prophecy, but no one believed her. That was her punishment for rebuffing Apollo’s advances. Oh, those ancient Greeks! They were complicated folks.

Now, some would say that I do have a little bit of the gift of prophecy. Even when no one believes me. And at a quick glance, you MIGHT mistake my last name, “Cassara,”  for it…but, my name’s not CASSANDRA.

The other day, someone called me CLARA. That name reminds me of Clara Barton, a Civil War nurse. I know about her because when I was a girl, I wanted to be a nurse. I read all about Clara Barton.  But my name’s not CLARA.

It’s CAROL.

Hardly anyone names their daughter CAROL any more, but it was popular in the 1950s and memorialized by Neil Sedaka in his song, Oh! Carol. 



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Rumor has it my mother named me after Carole Lombard, only my name has no “e.”

Regardless, it’s pronounced the same, and, it’s my name.

CAROL.

Feel free to use it any time you like.

Thank you!

12 comments on “What’s in a name?
  1. Ryder Ziebarth says:

    Well, I for one, am guilty of this. It must drive you nuts. However, being called so many odd things, I chalk it up to people’s learning styles. I have dyslexia, so my eyes see what they want to see, and my brain doesn’t often register it the same way. I can see CAROLCASSARA a hundred times and still think your name if Cassandra. UNLESS! you tell me, which you did. It takes me three times as long to proof read my work and even then , I need a second pair of eyes. I have been called lazy, and stupid; people laugh at my mispronunciations and think I am just quirky, when in reality, I am secretly forever a ten year old in 5th grade, dying of embarrassment, wanting to hide in the coat closet. So forgive us. And keep on correcting us!

    • admin says:

      OMG, Tell me about those typos! I never see all of mine till halfway through the day I’ve posted, regardless of how many times I read it. I feel your pain, Ryser. I mean, Ryder!!! 😉

  2. Jennifer Steck says:

    Good Monday morning, Carol. I can see the issue, although I think I’ve gotten it right when I stop by. Carol Cassara just rolls off the tongue, like the verse in a song. I have people who try to call me Jenny and I correct them each time. Jen is okay, but Jenny doesn’t work for me. My spambots tend to get it right but then Steck doesn’t really sound like a first name.

  3. Pat says:

    Just think if you lived in Europe. Can you just imagine how the French, Italian, German, Dutch, Spanish….would unintentionally butcher your name. My name is simple…PAT, but colleagues call me Pet, Pit, Pot!

  4. I’m sure I could top you on this one! When someone calls and asks for Walter Thornton I just laugh and say he’s not home!

  5. Diane says:

    Heehee! Hi, Carol! I’m Diane and always get ‘Debbie’. I feel your pain . . .

  6. Haralee says:

    Carol is not a difficult name but hey what do I know? I have to spell my first and last name and pronounce them always. My husband’s name is Shelby and a have to spell last name. His first name works well for me when I pretend to be him or give a call back name.

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