THE NAME CONTROVERSY

What should matter? Is it what something is, or what it is called?

I have observed that a number of people who are unhappy with the vicissitudes of life and their personal misfortunes have laid the blame for the trajectory of their lives at the doorsteps of the names given to them at birth. Clergymen and parents have also reinforced this deep-seated belief that your name ultimately leads to your destiny like the rudder of a ship. The belief tends to suggest that one is helpless after being named and just drifts along in the strong currents and course charted by one’s name - for good or bad. The ritual of child-naming is therefore an important occasion in the African setting.

Children during christening or such naming ceremonies are given names that bear testimony to such mindsets that their names will reflect on their character and ultimately make or mar their lives.  

Also, every now and then, a baby name boom is spawned by a societal fad or celebrity obsession. It certainly will not be surprising; looking back years from now, that many children born in this era got christened Goodluck and Patience. Named by parents hoping that the President and his wife’s knack of having political good luck and bidding their time will rub off on their own wards and children. Just like the Obama name rush when he was declared the 44th and first black president of the United States of America. Or the Yvonne and Denzel baby name boom at the height of the musical and acting careers of Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Denzel Washington respectively.

Beautiful and meaningful names are good to give to children but the hood does not make the monk. Only a few babies have been named after Barack Obama in the United States. But 43 children were named after him or Michelle in Kisumu, Kenya, the village where Obama's father lived, by only the end of the election week.

We need to liberate our children from fraudulent manipulations by teaching them the art of critical thinking. They need to be taught the art of listening to all perspectives, questioning motives and evidence and applying independent critical thinking from an uncluttered mind freed from age-long shackles. This skill is sorely lacking today.

Our prisons and a glance at the list of condemned prisoners indicate that it is full of people with beautiful and even religious names. They are incarcerated despite their ennobling names. Our upbringing, actions, inactions and personal choices ultimately decide the trajectory of our lives rather than our names. Changing a name without changing one’s personality, harmful or displeasing habits won’t make much of a difference in breaking the connection with supposed ill-luck.

We should be more concerned with building character than names because character is who we really are while the name is merely a wish - Just as one might utter a “Good morning!” wish to a friend, neighbour or colleague on a miserably dark and cloudy morning.
It is better to reflect and adjust your character if you are rejected wherever you go than to constantly swear affidavits for change of name. Your character goes ahead of you even before you mention your name.

It is more important to train and equip our children with the tools of success in life than become mired in name controversies and their impact on the trajectory of the bearer's life.

I won't be surprised to find that there is another married couple from Bayelsa State also known as Goodluck and Patience who are wallowing in abject poverty and living in penury and obscurity. Disadvantaged by lack of education, upbringing and circumstances of their birth.

Mary was the name of the mother of Jesus Christ.  As such, the name was at first considered too holy for ordinary use. Its use began in England in the 12th century, and by the 16th century it was the most frequently used name for girls. Mary, in Hebrew means bitter but Mary the mother of Jesus was described as blessed amongst women because of her personality, upbringing and chosen role. Her name did not make her a bitter person.

Even when we read about individuals in biblical times whose names God changed, this was merely symbolic of the promises or covenant with such people. They were already chosen at the time they bore their previous names.

George Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States, serving from 2001 to 2009, and the 46th Governor of Texas, serving from 1995 to 2000.

Bush is the eldest son of President George H. W. Bush, who served as the 41st President, making him one of only two American presidents to be the son of a preceding president.

It is glaring that their last name BUSH, was not a deterrent to their ambitions in life. The circumstances of our lives are determined to a large extent by our quality of thoughts and the choices that we make. This in turn is influenced largely by the education that we have, our parental upbringing, environment and the opportunities that we avail ourselves. Education teaches us to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character gets you further in life than a fancy name. The purpose of education is to boost our opportunities in life and to enable us provide great service to people. You have to be ready and prepared to take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself.

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen (John F. Kennedy). As a man thinketh so is he. As he continues to think, so he becomes.

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet is a quote by William Shakespeare from his play Romeo and Juliet meant to say that the names of things do not matter, only what things are.

Drowning in the filth of their character and poor choices, people often turn around to blame their names.