What's In A Name?

I woke up this morning knowing that today was note day. As I walked around my apartment (well, my room) and got ready, I prayed a simple prayer for God to show me what to write.

It’s almost 5pm and I’m not feeling compelled to write much. I haven’t had a stellar day. I don’t know exactly why. I had an enormous birthday cookie waiting on my desk when I got here. And there was a cute monkey looking at me, waiting for a hug. But maybe the gloomy weather affected my mood? Or maybe I’m just tired…although I feel like that’s a lame excuse? I don’t know.

I just know that ever so often, I’ve busted out laughing today. I’ve thought about my dad’s inability to use his car’s built-in GPS, and I’ve thought about how impressed he was that I figured it out. I’ve thought about my naming the GPS Mildred but my mom’s objecting to the name because Mildred is not an alliteration. I’ve remembered my mom saying, “How about Gilda?” and me saying, “Gilda. I like that. Gilda Mildred, GPS.” I’ve remembered how we laughed at the absurdity of such an official name for a GPS—how it sounds like we gave the GPS not only a personality, but also a degree. And I’ve laughed at how, when my parents left for NC on Saturday morning, my mom texted me and said: “We are on our way home under the direction of Gilda Mildred, GPS :-D.”

I know. It’s silly. And it’s probably not that funny to the rest of the world. But to me, on this gloomy day, it’s brought a bit of joy.

And…in remembering Gilda Mildred…I find myself remembering Molly the Dolly, our office’s new dolly—purchased and named by Boss…with no guidance from me. She said she’d been around me too long :-).

And I remember another friend who named her I-Pad Mabel. And I think about Fish Ball and Bourbon and Gigi The White Ant and Pencil and Eraser Deaton and Willard and Earl and Cassie May and Thomas and Mary and all of the other objects I’ve named and loved and…well…I find myself wondering:

Do you name things?

To name gives identity and to give identity gives meaning and to give meaning declares value and to declare value is important to life…

You name things, right? Come on, confess: What’s the name of your GPS?