The Story of My Name

Even in the early days of human existence, individuals within a community were given some form of title, or name, so that others would be able to identify them. It lets others know who we are or what we come from. This designation of a name to every individual on the planet has continued all the way up until now, and will continue way into our future. 

Just like anyone else, I was given a name at birth by my parents. The name "Natalie," taken from the Latin name "Natalia" and originally meaning "Christmas Day," for a long time became a popular name for baby girls born on Christmas Day in many different cultures. While in fact I was not born on Christmas, my parents gave me my name due to the fact they felt as though it was "classic" but not common. In many ways, I have to agree with them. I love that my name is not one I see all the time, and I genuinely love the way it sounds and flows with the rest of my name. I'm happy I've been given one I can appreciate and put value into. 

While I know many other people in the world share my same name, I also know that it can be split into thousands of unique meanings depending on the person who has it. For me, the name "Natalie," when used to identify me as an individual, means love and light. Or, at least, I try to make it mean that. I hope that it gives a sense of comfort and compassion when people hear it because that's what I try to be every day. Each day I attempt to lead a life of happiness and positivity, and I try my very best to bring that into other peoples' lives as well by being friendly and empathetic. I hope that when people hear my name, they'll think of these characteristics, and in turn, that will be what establishes the meaning of my name. This exact feeling or thought would be the same for everyone else with my name except with the qualities those individuals have.

When it comes to whether or not there is "two me's," as described in Anna Quindlen's essay, I believe that there is for me in some regards. I mainly notice this about myself when I take a look at my life, what I'm going to be doing with it, and where I hope to be in a few years.

For as long as I can remember, I have always had a lot of interests in a variety of things, and I would go through phases with these interests where I'd be determined they were what I wanted to do when I am older. Through lots of contemplation up until where I am now, I have solidified my interests into two big categories, which are complete opposites of each other, and in a way, those are my "two me's."

These two interests are global public health and the arts. From a young age, I have always loved to help people, get involved with the world, and give back to the community, which allowed me to settle on possibly going into public health. On the other hand, I've also grown up around art, music, and photography, things I greatly enjoy and always want to entertain as long as I can. I love to create memories and have keepsakes I can look at in the future, and expressing myself has always been made easier through the art I produce.

Both of these interests define who I am, but they are completely different from one another and truly do split me right down the middle. Part of me knows I need a career that can support me effectively, which would be more so public health than art-related, but part of me also knows I don't want to lose sight of my creative side or sacrifice it to make the world more pleased with me.

In this sense, I feel obligated to a larger whole when the different connotations these two interests have within society are made aware. The world tells me I need an "actual" or "respectable" job so that I can make money for myself and for my family and so I can contribute to the global economy. In many regards this is true, but having creativity isn't something that society should put down as being something that isn't just as important. Where would we all be without music? Where would we all be if we didn't have designers of various kinds or movie directors? These kinds of thoughts revert me back and help me feel proud of embracing my creative side and allow me to realize it makes me individual and unique.

Overall, this ties back into my given name and my identity. Just as I can have different sides to my personality and what I am interested in, so too do I have different sides with various members of my family and friends that are reflected in nicknames that have been given to me. From simple ones like "Nat" to the one I was called by my parents as a child, "Monkey," due to my love of exploring and appreciating nature.

Through and through, we all have different sides to us, whether in the names we are given, our personalities, or the interests we may have. Despite this, they all embody who we are and how we chose to set ourselves apart from the world. Each and every one of us is unique and individual, and it's crucial to accept that.