That Which We Call a Rose

I love Shakespeare. I love to quote him. I love to read his plays. A quote from Romeo and Juliet hits home for me right now.  Juliet says, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." She's explaining to Romeo that it doesn't matter if they come from warring families. Names are artificial and meaningless. She loves Romeo, not for his family name and not for his family. I've always been annoyed by my name. Not my last name, but my boring first name. Sarah. Blah. There's always been at least one other Sarah in my life, not necessarily in my grade or class, but always close by. It doesn't suit my personality. I used to tell my mom I wanted a more unique name like Sacagawea or something (usually after a trip to Walmart where undoubtedly another Sarah had been yelled at repeatedly). The meaning of my name fits me perfectly. Princess. I usually think of myself as royalty. How I apparently came to have my name is an interesting story too. My mom claims she liked the name because of the song "Sara" (the band obviously couldn't spell) by Jefferson Starship. This song is an honest-to-goodness sappy 80's love song. Look it up on youtube. It will brighten your day. The "h" on the end of my name has always been such a debate too! I hate it because most people forget it or leave it off but then Sara without the "h" looks so unfinished. My kindergarten teacher called me "Sarah with an H" because I would get hostile when she misspelled my name. My parents supposedly let me name my little brother. I'm sure I had help though. I can't remember. But left to my own devices at age six, I think I would have chosen Pooh Bigbird or Princess Strawberry. He's one lucky kid. Michael. There was a boy at a daycare where I used to work whose name was Jet Plane. His older sister named him and she must not have had any guidance. My niece wants to name her unborn sibling George. We don't know the sex yet, but she's convinced it's a boy since she already has a sister. Ah, the logic of a four-year-old. George is an upstanding name especially considering a preschooler chose it. Maybe that's because she likes Curious George. I'm just glad my niece hasn't heard the song, "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash. I think names are important but they're not the end-all. I spent most of life wishing for a more creative name but it doesn't define me. I think I would have turned out exactly the same if I had been named Sacagawea. My name's simple, common and I like it that way.....even if it was inspired by a cheesy 80's song.