My name is really common. There has never been a time in my school years when I didn’t have a classmate with the same name. Also, I’m not especially fond of the story of how my parents named me.
My father went to an elder member of the family and asked him to give me a name. The elder just brought a yearbook from the local elementary school and chose a name from there. What a slipshod way to choose a name!
However, I recently learned something new. A friend with an unusual name mentioned that she had a passive disposition in her childhood because of it. She hated always being the center of attention because of her unusual name. It was something I had never given much thought to, since my wish was to have a name that wasn’t run-of-the-mill.
I suppose what’s most important in life is to live with an attitude of self-love, and that includes one’s own name.
slipshod - showing lack of effort and attention
disposition - the particular type of character that a person naturally has
run-of-the-mill - ordinary and not special or exciting in any way
streamlined - improved or made simpler
내 이름은 정말 흔하다. 학창 시절에 같은 이름을 가진 반 친구가 없었던 적은 단 한 번도 없었다. 또한 부모님이 내 이름을 지으신 이야기도 별로 마음에 들지 않는다.
아버지는 집안 어른을 찾아가서 제 이름을 지어달라고 부탁하셨다. 그러자 그 어르신은 동네 초등학교 졸업 앨범을 가져와 거기서 이름을 골랐다고 한다. 정말 무성의한 작명이 아닐 수 없다!
그런데 최근 새로운 사실을 하나 알게 되었다. 특이한 이름을 가진 한 친구가 어린 시절에 그 이름 때문에 소극적인 성격이었다고 한다. 그녀는 특이한 이름 때문에 항상 많은 관심의 대상이 된 것이 싫었다고 한다. 독특한 이름을 갖는 것이 소원이었던 나는 한 번도 생각해보지 못한 부분이었다.
본인 이름을 포함해서, 나 자신을 사랑하며 살아가는 삶의 태도가 무엇보다 중요한 것 같다.
- My wife is not especially fond of fermented foods. / I am not especially fond of that director’s movies.
- He always wants to be the center of attention. / As an only child, I often was the center of attention.
- No matter how busy you are, don’t forget what’s most important in life. / I think that family is what’s most important in life.
A: I’ve heard the process of changing one’s name has been streamlined a lot these days.
B: That’s right. I even know some people who have changed their names.
A: I wasn’t especially fond of my name, either.
B: Why not? It’s a beautiful name.
A: It’s just so run-of-the-mill.
B: Having a name that stands out too much isn’t good, either.
