A lot of thinking goes through
parents minds when it comes the time to make a huge decision: What will I name
my kid? It’s a long thought process that goes through numerous lists, but do
parents name their kids with hope that their name’s meaning will be fulfilled?
As some may know, my full name is
Christopher. I am in fact Greek (from my dad’s side), which was a big influence
in why I was given this name. Christopher comes from the late Greek name
Christophoros, meaning “bearing Christ”. Early Christians used it as a
metaphorical name, expressing that they carried Christ in their hearts. In the
Middle Ages, literal interpretations of the name's etymology led to legends
about a Saint Christopher who carried the young Jesus across a river. Now, in
my opinion, I don’t believe this name defines me at all. My dad was a fairly
religious person, and as a kid my family and I visited the Greek Orthodox
Church every Sunday; however, as we all aged, we decided to stop going to
Church almost entirely. Since I was about 10, I really haven’t been to church
all that often, and I’m not that much of a religious person either. Yes, I believe
in good moral values, but I’ve grown to realize that I don’t need to follow a religion
to have these morals. I’m perfectly content with how I’m living my life right
now, and I don’t think I need to “carry Christ in my heart” to achieve any
greater happiness.
In Anna Quindlen’s essay, "The
Name is Mine", she remarks, "there are two me's, the me who is the
individual and the me who is a part of a family of four..." I could agree
with her statement, but in a different situation. Who I am individually is
really the same person I am with my family, however, with my hockey team there
is a completely new me. The person I am as an individual is for the most part,
pretty quiet and humble, but when I’m with my hockey team, it’s a totally different
story. I’m always joking around, talking a lot (mainly about hockey), and just
all around having fun with everyone; whether I’m on the ice, or even just
hanging out with the team. This group of people I’m a part of, or “larger
whole”, are the people I can talk about anything, anytime. The common interests
we share and the similarities in all of lives help us all come together and
express ourselves to the fullest. When you think about it, it’s pretty weird
how one can have such opposite personalities, but it’s very common. Most people
do in fact express as a different person when with a larger whole, than the
person they are individually.
This is a very interesting and thoughtful post. After reading your personal experience of two different personalities I came to the realization that many people have different personalities that are the opposite from one another, which is crazy to me. Before reading this article, I didn't think that the name 'Chris' had any deeper meaning, simply because it is such a common name. I was surprised to find out that it had not only a Christian meaning, but a Greek meaning as well. Your perspective on religion and how it has impacted (or the contrary) your life is also interesting. However, I would personally recommend that you “Look for God. Look for God like a man with his head on fire looks for water.”
ReplyDelete― Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
I also agree that who we are and what our name is can depend entirely on the people we are around. I know that you prefer to go by Chris at school, but does that change when you go home or go to visit relatives? When I began to go by "Matt" instead of "Matthew" (my name also has a Christian meaning, "God's Gift"), it first started with my social group at school and in athletics, as I was more comfortable with them. It was a while before my parents and family adopted it as well, and they still haven't fully.
ReplyDelete