Sunday, January 17, 2010

Whats in a Name??


Friends we all have a property that is used more by others than us…. Any guesses as to what it is???….its none other than our name! We often tend to feel what’s in a name? It’s just the recognition of the individual to whom it belongs to. But in fact my 9 lettered property starts with ‘V”, and has added essence to my life…..

Most of the data in this world is stored alphabetically, and this practice starts right from our school attendance. Thanks to my name, I was always the first from the last to answer the attendance and this made me feel like a laggard, and I had to sit in the last row in all examinations without proper light or fan. Teas and biscuits will be distributed to all in the hall as I was the last in the big hall, by the time the tea master reaches my place all biscuit packets would have been emptied…..

In everything and everywhere I was the last… and I developed a feeling that my name is going to keep me away from all good things in life….in fact I developed an inferiority complex that students named with first letters like A, B, C… are so brilliant and will be successful in their lives…..and I was not destined to be so… that is when I decided to research more on the same…

Have you ever asked yourself, "What does your name mean??” Most people have some idea of the meaning of their name or whom they were named after. I was so frustrated with the trouble my name caused me, and I decided to confront my father with the same. I asked him why he had named me Vinodhini and made me miss all my biscuits and tea.... To my extreme consternation, he only seemed amused at my predicament. He explained that when I was 2 months old… my umpteen number of relatives came up with umpteen names, and I looked back only when my aunt called me Vinodhini…Vinodhini….Vinodhini…. Sentimentally, its goddess Meenakshi’s name, and being the first girl child my parents decided the same name for me…

I was curious to know the other options that were considered and asked him what were the other names those were tried by other relatives….he fanatically said a list of names like Palani ammal (my grand mother’s name) and Meena Lochani...Oh! Thanks God for keeping me so primed at that point that not to turn to other names. It is better that Iam called Vinodhini than Loshini or Palani ammal! It’s better to be last in the class than to be a laughing stock.

We were in Calcutta when I was 12…. In Bengali there is no letter sounding ‘V’ as they always pronounce it as ‘B’. My friends and neighbors over there would call me Binodhini…… my mother’s name is Velvizhi…. Think how much they would have snuffed out her name….at that stage I had a bigheaded feeling that my name starts with a such a precious letter which the other language doesn’t have…..Perception on certain things varies depending on our age, how true it is???

Once in college I got a beautiful birthday wish with a message from one of my classmate. Applying phonetics and Tamil to my name he had written ‘’WE KNOW THEEEE NEE” I asked him, why is it so, he replied that, he always could find a fire within me as an urge to learn things and with full of determination to achieve the goals. I had a sleepless night after that…..my thoughts worried me thinking …. Do I really stand to the meaning of my name?

The next day I searched for the exact meaning of my name …. I found in a book that Vinodhini stands for a LOTUS. I started comparing myself to a lotus…..I remember that’s when I decided to live up to my name…..

All the lotuses I observed enjoyed the company of water lilies. The lotuses were able to take advantage of these water lilies for upward orientation even if they are crowded on the surface of the water. By seeing this I understood, “The art of living lies less in eliminating our troubles than in growing with them." and also “Everything that irritates about others is for the true understanding of self”

The lotus is often viewed as a symbol of aspirations to rise towards the light”. Like sunlight which makes lotus to bloom, it’s always friends and well wishers’ support is making to unfold the talents of this lotus (me)....

Lotus flowers start off as a seed in the bottom of a pond, the mucky, smelly swamp, but still they grow,and as they grow they eventually make their way out of the tarnished, stinking pond, they rises above the water to the top where they become a beautiful successful flower. Now obviously this is a metaphor relating to people's lives.


Whenever I see a lotus I feel as if she says to me,” You can be in the worst conditions possible; much like me, but with considerable growth and determination you can get to the top of the world and become something more than what you were born into. You can become the beautiful, successful "flower" at the top of your pond.” … what it represents is beauty and success.

I also learnt that we are named not only for individual recognition but also to live up to the name… as great people’s names are still remembered not because of their names and its spellings it’s just the way they lead their life. “we must live as we think; otherwise we shall end up by thinking as we have lived." now days I think I was born to live up to the meaning of my name for my next generations to keep saying it, so do me….

6 comments:

  1. ’WE KNOW THEEEE NEE


    - ada nalla irukke....

    Nice blog Vino...I luved it

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  2. Nice explanation about the name? Can u Pls Tell me the same for my name?

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  3. Hi Vino,

    Your blogs are "AWESOME"!! I just loved the way you had put it in words! You have a great flow of language!! Great and best wishes for you to write more!

    @ Whats in a name: The blog was as if it was written for me :) I am one of those people who think a name starting in A, B or C is best! Reasons are ofcourse very silly - I get a lot of choice to choose from - be it getting biscuits in the exam hall or picking up a science experiment in the practical exams!! :)
    Ram and I used to have a lot of argument on this topic (His name starts in R.. heh heh).

    You have put that very nicely!!

    BTW, about my name - Aneetha means 'Gracious' in Greek/spanish. I am sure my parents didnt know the meaning when they kept it. Anyways, nice that they kept this name. (Other wise my name would have been Muthathal - hard to even read rite? )

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  4. well said Anee....the experiment sheets in labs were really heart breakers.....i would exactly get the experiment which i had left in choice without studying :((

    Muthathal!! yup i couldnt pronunce it....

    After all these hardships...we have named our son with starting letter S, as its a sentiment that all men in both of our families have names with that letter.....wondering what SRINIKESH wud right in his blog after 10 or 15 yrs....

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  5. Vino, the blog is excellent. But the Vinodhini I know is not "WE KNOW THEEE NEE". You have been a caring, understanding and loving person to me. All the best for your future blogs and writing spree. Keep it up da.

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