Names

I wonder how my destiny would have been different at all if I was given a different name at birth. Does a David turn out different than a Jeffrey? Does a Raul have better luck with women than a Jim? Does a Fred have to dig himself out of a hole from the very start? Is a Leonardo brilliantly creative, while a Frank, reliably sincere?

I think there is a freedom in changing one's name. My greatgrandfather did it with his last name when he came here to the US from Lithuania. My grandfather did it while living here in the US to something a little less Jewish sounding. I, like my father, have stuck with the name I was given. But I have to honest in saying that I do get tired of the surname and the karmic weight that the bearer is expected to carry. Is there a fresh karmic start with changing one's name? I don't think so. I think the experiences, suffering, successes, creations, and struggles of our forebearers are indelibably inscribed into our DNA, both on a collective and an individual level.

Maybe I should marry a woman and take her name. Find someone with a name that bespeaks of nobility or mystery. Maybe I should change everything about the way I look. Maybe I should cut my hair really short and dress impeccably like a young Italian businessman/lothario. That would be fun for a couple of days. But I am not a businessman. I'm an ideaman. And I'm not a lothario. I haven't been one of those guys in a few years now. But the sport is still in my blood, and probably will be until I die. It's one of those things I am learning to accept and to make peace with. Slowly.