Okay so my professor gave us all a new assignment of finding out the history of our names. As in how we got our names, what was the reason, is there any thing special behind it, etc.
I came home and asked my mummy and she said "Go ask Baba" (she wasn't the one who picked my name...fair enough). So I went to Baba and he said "Go ask Mummy" (What the...!) How helpful. My parents couldn't recall how they named me. How can you not remember why you chose your child's name? I told Baba to really dig into his memory and try to remember something, anything. C'mon, there has to be some reason why he picked my name out of a million names out there. After a few minutes of interrogation, he finally responded "Ohhhh, you know...I think I heard it somewhere, liked the name, and named you." Okkkkk....that was worse than not knowing. I am soooo failing this assignment. I am thinking of making up a whacky story. Hey, it's not like the prof's gonna confirm it with my parents. Plus, the crazier the better:)
Anyway, this whole incident made me think. Okay so my parents can't remember why they named me (maybe there was no special reason) but then how important is it to remember your child's firsts. I remember once flipping through those "baby's firsts" books at a store and I was surprised to see some of the firsts that were mentioned. Do parents really have that much time to notice and write down every single detail?
There were normal things like the baby's first tooth, the first word, the first hair cut, the first friend...but then it got a little weird. It went onto things like the baby's first bath, the first nap, the first diaper change?, the first car ride, the first smile, the first "drinking from a cup", the first crawl...give it a rest. Am I supposed to stare at my baby 24/7 without blinking my eye. (don't forget, I have to note down his/her first blink)
I love babies and I really think they are the most beautiful and amazing creatures in this world. But, I don't know if I am really gonna remember (or note down) every single detail that my child does. I mean when the baby needs a diaper change, the first thing I am gonna do is give him/her that diaper change and not go grab my book and write down the day and time of when this happened. (I really would be praying that this was the first and last diaper change)
Some things are special to remember like his/her first step. But these are things that will be special at that moment...they wouldn't be after a few months when the baby starts walking.
Although, there is one thing that I will remember...his first word...especially if it was mommy or daddy...muahahaha:-D
Thursday, July 06, 2006
The Firsts
Posted by BiBi at 6:40 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
17 comments:
I am named thus for two reasons:
1. After Harshvardhan, one of the greatest kings of India. For some reason, my maternal grandfather (who was supposed to be an accomplished seer) predicted that I would be as giving as that king. (Harsh was famous for giving freely to all that asked for it, and to even those who didn't.)
2. Well, I had this permanent grin fixed on my face right from birth. So Dad thought it was only appropriate to name me 'Happiness'.
As for you Shama, if you don't find an appropriate story, I will tell you what your name always reminds me of and you can quote it if you want.
"Ghar se masjid hai bahut door, chalo yun kar lein;
Kisi rote hue bachche ko hasaya jaaye.
Jin chiraagon ko hawaaon ka koi khauf nahin;
Un chiraagon ko hawaaon se bachaya jaaye.
Roshni ki hifazat bhi hai ibadat ki tarah,
Bujhte suraj se ik SHAMA ko jalaya jaaye."
--- Nida Fazli
And as far as kids are concerned, I love them. Not babies (babies are just cute, and a nuisance most of the time).
I like the children aged 5-10. That is the age when they develop the skills of association, long-term memory and the beginnings of logic. At the same time, they are raw and their opinions and ideas are not prejudiced. They are incredibly fresh.
Man, the things I could do with an army of such brats....!! I once made one of them go and peek under a lady's skirt and he came back and said, "Bahut andhera tha...!" I love to spoil them, teach them naughty stuff and argue with that new-born logic.
It's really tough to beat them at debates, you know. I remember how I tried to teach another kid about 'night and day, sunset and sunrise' and he gave me a really tough time....
I think the first word that came outta ma mouth was "A" then it was "B"..then "C"......and so on...
I started speaking alphabetically...was kinda brainy when I was kid....then I slowly turned retard..no regrets though...I had best days of ma life at young age ;)
I was named because my bua named me so.. yep not even named by my parents. Although in our family you name dependin g on the birth horoscope so my name shoulda started with an N and I was going to be nirali but fate wanted me to be aditi? Think that would qualify for a B?
I think a lot of the parents do go overboard with their baby, I am not guaranteeing I wont but I doubt I wont be going overboard either. I dont think the baby's first poop etc is worth noting in a book, although I get rather happy when I see my mom has saved my school badge from kindergarten etc..
Maybe I'd capture one of the baby's early steps on video but then who knows what one will be like when they actually become a parent?
hey shama... lol. funny... i was just thinking about babies the other day.... Lord save me i was seeing them EVERYWHERE!!!
my dad gave me my name... not a clue where he got it from though! maybe he knew i'd end up being an anon. reader... haha. bad joke? ok sorry sorry... good luck with your project... i could give you a foot long ramble about babies/kids, but i'd just bore you! :)
Harsh - Aww, that is soooo cool. So much history behind your name (and I mean literally). Never heard of this King though (I did learn a little Indian history) - or maybe it's just my useless memory. Still have that grin on your face?:)
..Aw thanks for your poem dude! It was so beautiful. But hold on, you do know "Shama" isn't my real real name. "Shama" is actually two parts of a name stuck together. So in a way, it's partly my name.
You really spoil kids don't you. And that too in such a bad way. Poor kids, they don't even know what they are doing:P
arz000n - Haha...is that why your name has numbers in it cuz you forgot the letters:P In fact, I want to know the reason behind "Arz000n"
Aditi - That's an A+ girl! I am glad it wasn't Nirali (no offense), Aditi is such a beautiful name :)
Yeah, see I agree with the whole video idea..it kinna exciting to watch baby photos and videos. But you are right, who knows what kind of parents we will be. Only time will tell....
Anon - I read your mind. Hehe...your name couldn't have been better! ;). Although I would like to hear your baby ramble (as long as it's pro babies) :P
hehe thanks.. now that i am aditi i cant imagine being nething else..
well said shama :)
it is probably just as important to restrain the parental impulse in the first years of childhood as much as it is in the years of youth that ensue!
nice thoughtful post:) there are people who keep note of their baby's firsts. But I never did. I enjoyed his each and every activitiy but never kept note.
hmm ... nice one ... *grins*
i think most parents wldn't have da time or inclination to record every single 'first' by their second child ... hehe ... but they may go the distance for their first child ... ;)
Good post. I don't know either why I am named the way I am.
And witht he advent ofweb/videocams and ditial cams, its easy to document every monet. Is it overdone? Depends on one's POV.
Well Shama,just a few days back, in an interview,the first question I was asked was the meaning of my name.I had no answer,as usual.This made the interviewer's brows rise.But I just hope I do not lose points on that.Afterall, what's in a name?
Archana - That's the thing. The "first" of someone doesn't stop as you get older. There's always a first throughout your lifetime. The first scholarship, the first car, etc. etc.
Saroj - Isn't that what makes it more meaningful cuz you didn't capture but rather enjoyed the moment to the fullest:) How old is your little one?
Anup - Oh yes, you can say that again. That makes a lotta sense when you wonder why first ones are the spoiled brats.
Karmic - Definitely, far much easier than it was back in the day. I guess some people just want to capture every single thing while others, just enjoy it.
Tanvi - Hi! True what's in a name, but I do think that name's shape people's personality. You should have asked the interviewer if he/she knew what his/her name meant. Haha. Thanks for stopping by:)
hahahahah that was soooooo cute and soooooooooo true..... i asked my parents why they named me sarah and they say we dont rmr.... and one day mom says it rhymes with her name so dad thought it would be appropriate.... hahahaha how bad is that????
anyways i like the assignment.... and well written
hehe...
as far as i am considered, i put my name 'endevourme'.
and even i dont know waht it means :-)
For "Gajodhar" i named him so .. because it is most funniest name to match the person i am making on internet... I heard this name before and even named a hostelmate "gajju" because of his eating and walking style ...
For my real name, they had a name in mind even before i was born and thats it .. as it was a very popular indian legend' name and they named me on that ...
smz - Hehe...they thought of all the possible names that rhymed with your mom, and Sarah seemed the best. Atleast your name rhymes, mine not even close..lol. I am guessing your mom's name is Farah.
endevourme - Your blog endeavours me:)
Kalingaa - Oh, according to a legend..hmm, I wonder if my name has a legend behind it...google search;)
Post a Comment