Punchy,
One little thing to get this started. I have decided to post a blog when I feel there is something to say as I am starting to feel like writing every day turns out sub par posts that sometimes are all on the same thing. Sometimes you have to adjust the what you agree on because it just does not fit things and you have to readjust your commitment so you are in integrity. That is a part of being a responsible person in life. But enough on that, on to the blog for tonight.
To say that your mom and I came to your name quickly and easily would be a lie. For some things in life, names, and indeed words themselves come easily. Some names you choose yourself, some are chosen for you by others. We started talking about names before you were even conceived, and had many different rules that we both agreed on. You will know many people in your life with many strange and different names. Your mom and I wanted to give you something that leaned more traditional, but something with some options as to what you choose to be called, or some options that people could easily call you. We wanted something simple, but something that you could live with for all of your life.
Your mom is fond of saying you never know how many people you do not like until you go to name your child. We spent weeks going through names that we liked, throwing out names of people we dated even before we knew you were a boy. We wanted your name to be something that we did not have connections to, no naming you directly after someone who you would grow up knowing. We wanted to name you something that was in the family, and once we found some things that were on both sides those were given heavier weight as we liked that. We went through entire baby name books and pulled from them half a dozen that we liked. Compiled and re-compiled and combined them. Looked for people in popular media that we knew of with that name and decided if that connection mattered or was any good. In short we took a lot of time to decide just what we would call you.
Your mom is named Cindy but growing up and still today people sometimes think her real name is Cynthia. Your Grandma Judy growing up and sometimes and still today people think her name is Judith. Your Aunt Maggie is named Margaret, while your uncle Mark, goes by Mark within the Stephenson family and Richard outside of it. We wanted to make sure you had options, but when thinking like that we also had to think like 1st graders and think of what rhyming things we could make up to make fun of your name. Chuck is a great name, but if you have ever played the name game you know it ends not so well there. I have always thought that if your last name is something that when combined with your first name, your parents should have been more careful when naming you. If your last name is Butts, Seymour is not a good first name, things like that. Initials also fall into this category.
We may call you several things. It is possible that we have gone through variations on the names we call you but I feel we have found something with options, that fits all of our criteria while still giving you a name that we feel is good, strong, and something we hope you love, even if you do not like it in your teenage years (This is not as uncommon as you, or your friends think it may be, even if you feel like you are the first to come up with it, you are not.) When I worked at the hospital I had people call me boss, and Jefe, and sometimes Mr Jordan. Your mom even calls me Jojo sometimes as that is her name for me. these are things people give you but if you do not feel like they fit say something.
This brings me to names that you choose. Most of your grandparents, and great aunts and great uncles have a name you call them. When I choose to go by dad, I am not sure where it came from just that I felt it was something I liked. Same with your mom. I called your Pompa, Papa growing up, and your Grandma Judy, Mama (though it sometime changed to mother, we really do not remember when or how) Tonight at your Great Aunt Mary's Birthday your Grandma Stephenson told us she wanted to be called Ama which is Icelandic for Grandma, and your Grandpa Stephenson agreed to Rocky (We have witnesses Richard!) I have friends who go by things that are nothing like their names but it is what they prefer to be called. This is OK too and something that you may one day decide to do or not for yourself. When your cousin Emily was in high school she went by Toby or Oktober. I sometimes go by Dragon or Dragon Fyre as it was my swordsmans name, given to me by my first sword instructor. These are things we choose for ourselves but at the end of the day we all have legally binding names that we are to the state or federal government and only a legal name change modifies that.
We wanted to give you something that had some history, but we loved. Your first name is something that has not been on either side ever, until you as far as we know. We love the name and do not have strong connections to it from people in our past to color any otherwise. We have both known and still know some but do not have bad connections to it differently. Originally we only looked at one middle name but decided on two.Your first middle name is one of the most popular names over the last century, but was also family names on both sides of my family, and both sides of your moms. Your second middle name is something that is also on both of my family sides and a name your mom is strongly connected to on her side. After we decided on it we realized that it matches the tune of John-Jacob-Jingleheimer-schmitt and as a result we have been singing it to you for awhile now.
A name is what you make it, we are only giving you the bones, you will have to decide what you are going to do with it. If someone calls you something you do not like, it is your choice how to respond to it but ultimately, you will pick what you call yourself, and the way you are called by others. There is never a reason to be ashamed of your name, it is something you are born with and unless you feel it does not and cannot fit, it is something you will have for life. It is not something we took lightly as to us, it mattered what you were named as we know that it will be your name for life and that means it is a lot of pressure on us to do it the right way, for your sake.
we love you Sean William Martin Hinckley,
-Dad
