People often talk about the first impressions they have of someone after meeting them for the first time. You can tell certain things about a person by the way they carry themselves, how they greet you, shake your hand,etc. But with job/college applications, resumes, a phone call from a new individual or company, etc., your very first impression is your name.
Now, we can pretend that people don’t make assumptions based on someones name but the fact of the matter is that people do. I certainly do! There’s no judging that goes along with my assumptions but I automatically think in terms of gender and/or race when I hear certain names. Unfortunately something as simple as your name can conjure up thoughts about professionalism, background, culture, and so many other things that may or may not reflect who you really are!
When I started thinking of names for my daughter I had those thoughts in mind and neither Mario nor I could decide (or agree) on a name. Then out of the blue my best friend, Dorothy suggested that we name her Madison. It was a name that she had tucked away to name her daughter one day (how sweet)! As soon as she said it I knew that it was my daughter’s name without a second thought. It was perfect and we graciously accepted!!! What’s so perfect about it?!? It is not gender or race specific, just a beautiful name. We later discovered that one of Mario’s great-great grandfather’s name was Madison as well…see what I mean about gender (so neat)!
As for me, I feel that I have such a plain name but I thank my mother so much for it! Nicole Michelle…pretty and simple! My name is comprised of my two younger aunt’s middle names. Such a clever, sweet mommy I had for honoring her sisters in that way! When we have a boy I’d like to name him Grant after my brothers, Gregory and Anthony, but Mario wants a III, so there goes that cute idea!
And as for my blog, well, I went with Pharr Away because by marrying and gaining that new last name, my husband did just that. This space is all about our journey, but more specifically, my journey! A journey “Pharr” away to love as a wife and mother, to grow as a woman, to change into a submissive and nurturing homemaker and to finally live in a way that I’ve never lived before…truly happy. I can’t help but thank God for how “Pharr” I’ve come!
Hopefully, I’ve expressed how important names can be. I believe choosing names for just about everything should be done with thought and care. I can tell that Myranda had the same thoughts in mind when she named her blog, Pretty Living PDX.
She’s not only pretty, helpful and transparent, but also has a knack for saving money. She and her family are quite humorous too! Connect with her via:
Stop by and say hello to Myranda:
