GOLDEN PONDERINGS: What’s In A Name?

What’s In A Name?

Plenty. When I was a born sixty-some odd years ago, my parents named me Caryn Jane. But the only time I was actually addresses as Caryn Jane were the times I’d gotten into trouble; as in “Caryn Jane, come in here and explain why there is Silly Putty all over my new hand towel” (Easy – I washed it and needed something to dry it on.) But on those occasions when I was in within my mother’s favor, I was dubbed “sweetheart”. And it suited me, most of the time. When we went out and I behaved, I was sweetheart to the servers. I was “sweetheart” to shopkeepers, my parents’ friends, strangers who were kind enough to speak to this short freckle-faced, slightly chubby little girl.

            And then I grew up; so much so that one day, standing in the checkout line at the local supermarket, I heard a voice talking to “m”am”. Who could that possibly be? Me. I was now old enough to be “m’am”. 

            It was recently that I heard myself being addressed as Honey. There I was, organizing myself into the booth at my local Red Lobster and the sweet young thing waitress said, “honey”. Well, no, not quite yet. I hadn’t even decided if I was going to order coffee or tea. And I would only need honey if I was drinking tea. And then it hit me; she was referring to me. ME. I was now honey. Just old enough to partake of the senior special, and certainly, now, old enough to be honey.

            Yesterday I jumped into a whole new realm. Seating myself at a Perkin’s Family Restaurant I was addressed as Sweetie. And there it was – the circle was complete. And I decided that, instead of allowing myself to feel old I would take sweetie to the old level.  After all, I do have freckles and I still am short. Now, where is the Silly Putty?

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Submitted by Newtown, CT

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