Unnamed

What's in a name? Do our names define us, or do we define our names? As humans, we like to give things names, whether it be an inanimate object like a rock or a real pet dog- it gives us a sense of attachment to an object or organism. But when it comes to our own names, it's easy to overlook their significance. Your name might've just been chosen at random by your parents, or it could have been passed down. Either way, our names have more meaning than simply for identification purposes. Our names follow us from the day we are born to the day we die- and in many cases, even after that. Names might not dictate our actions, but they shadow the decisions we make in life, the person we become. So everything you do, you do in your name.

When we were talking about origins of our names in class the other day, I remembered the day I chose to be "Peter." It was when I had first moved to America. Back then, the only English words I could remotely pronounce or even remember were "Hi" and "Bye." So when my Mom told me to think of an English name I would go by, I didn't know exactly where to start. Wanting to "seem cool" or assimilate to American culture, I decided to refer to the limited number of American movies or TV shows I had watched. So what would be more fitting than a superhero movie? Spiderman was one of the first movies I ever watched, and to this day he is my favorite superhero. Maybe this story isn't as interesting as you'd expect, but in my mind, I was gonna be the Spiderman of my life, jumping from buildings and saving people. Although this was unrealistic, Peter Parker, like me, was just a kid going through normal problems. I may not have fought my best friend's evil father, but like him, I'm trying my hardest not to let high school break me. Like Nikki Giovanni says, "Harry Potter was just a boy who lived" (762). Likewise, Spiderman was just a boy who lived. His story may have been filled with web-shooting and crime fighting, but at the end of the day, I saw myself in him. And so that's why you probably know me as Peter.

In freshman year, Ms. Ciolek, my English teacher, called me "Peter Parker" one day. She didn't know the story- and I never really told her- but for the whole year, that's what she called me. I guess names do have a way of showing their significance in our lives, through coincidental moments like these. Although Spiderman may seem insignificant now, he's what essentially created Peter. Maybe if my name was different, I would've turned out to be a different person. Maybe I wouldn't even be here writing this blog at all- but the fact is that I am. So even if you don't think it's important, your name probably has a story behind it. The story might not seem interesting, as mine doesn't either. But to move along in life, we must find significance in the little things- it's these things that add up and make us who we are.