Name

My name is … We are attached to our name from the very beginning. To enrol in school, in college requires your full name. ‘What’s in a name?” I would say everything! It is your identity.

‘My name is Khan. I am not a terrorist.’ To speak to the president of the US he travels & finally conveys his sentiment. We very often try to judge a person by his name. Most of the times our guess is right. But not always. Exceptions prove the rule.

The name may be ‘Namesake ‘ & nothing else. An extraordinary person may have a common name. Nothing significant about it. But his actions may speak for him. APJ Abdul Kalam.. the person rose to Himalayan heights. We are forever in debt for having such a great person as our President. The highest post became glorified with his being in the seat.

Just because you were named ‘Ram’ by your parents, you aren’t but you can try to be one. Not all the qualities will come to you but some just by being one. People naturally look up to you!

Being named ‘Rani’ doesn’t give you the right to queen over people but it does make you realise that you have to have some qualities to uphold the name.

Irrfan’s ‘Namesake’ explored the layers of a name given to him in childhood. The movie points out the fallacy of the system.

In psychology, naming or labelling someone as ‘Idiot’ or ‘Fool’ is just not done. It affects the mind & the effects are lifelong. The parents & teachers have the duty to make the child feel at home & not be scarred for life.

I may name my son ‘Shakespeare’ or ‘Kalidas’ but I have to be realistic with his achievements. My genes will determine his excellence. He cannot be another great playwright just because I have named him such. He may hate literature. Then I should be ready to accept it!