Five and a half years ago, I published a post entitled "A gumamela by any other name…" ( see http://defendingyourlife.blog.friendster.com/2005/08/a-gumamela-by-any-other-name/) speculating on possible names for my as yet, unborn child. Determined not to saddle her with an unpronounceable, difficult to spell or too common name, my husband and I had numerous conversations regarding name choice.
A major issue was whether or not we should risk naming her "Tempest" and have a child with a stormy disposition -- as if any child of mine could possibly NOT have a stormy disposition. As it turns out, a rose (or in this case, a gumamela -- since we're in the Philippines) DOES smell as sweet by any other name.
In my case, my daughter is in fact, a force of nature. Her personality is so strong she rules our house with an iron fist, has been known to make grown men cry (ok, ok, it was Ron) and to my horror, she once tried to tried strangle a boy in the middle of a school performance. According to her, it was (a) in self defense because he hit her first, (b) she DID give him a warning not to do it again before actually trying to cause bodily harm and (c) what else could she do when he was trying to mess up her hair?
And for the record, I really, really resent that when told of the strangling story, EVERYONE says "Oh she's exactly like you!!!"
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?!!!!
First of all, I have never strangled or even hit or slapped anyone. I may have wanted to on occasion (and certainly, some people deserve it) but I've never actually gone and did it! I mean really...much as I'd like to smack certain people, I DO have SOME self-control!
Secondly, I never made anyone cry in school.
Ok, fine. I did.
But it wasn't until the first grade when I "accidentally" stomped on and broke Ernesto Sy's box of 64 new crayola crayons (he was being mean and refusing to share). Therefore,Tempest began her career making boys cry a whole TWO YEARS before me.
And lastly, I do NOT rule anyone with an iron fist. I am NOT bossy. Just ask Ron. Really. Speaking of Ron...he should be here by now with that iced tea I asked for ten minutes ago...
So anyway, I just had my second baby. (And probably my last, considering that whatever reserves of pain tolerance I may have had ran out with the last bottle of morphine they put in my IV drip two months ago...)
Ron : Oh she's so cute!
Miscen : I know! Don't I make good babies?
Ron : We should have a boy next...
Miscen : Excuse me, but the next time someone has a C-Section in this house, it
won't be me. And since no one has invented a medical procedure for
male pregnancy yet, it looks like a "NO" on that boy baby idea...
Going back to the (rambling) topic at hand, I tried to convince Ron to name our new baby Temperance. Hopefully, the Gumamela Principle will work in reverse and I'll have a temperately mannered, calm and peaceful baby (which I deserve after the previous Tempestuous one).
I figured that apart from the benefits of a calm, subdued name, my baby would also not have the same name as anyone else in her school.
(Apparently, "Bella", "Jacob" and "Edward" have been the most popular baby names in the last few years --- and I'm so NOT naming my daughter Bella, the catholic church may not approve of you naming your child after one of the undead and unless your son actually LOOKS as good as Taylor Lautner, I'd steer clear of the name Jacob altogether.)
Unfortunately, we got vetoed on the "Temperance" idea -- and since it was my mother that enforced the veto, we had to ahem..."re-think" our name choices.
After much discussion, we named her "Tabitha Therese".
"Tabitha" -- because I had a favorite doll named Tabitha (who got lost in Schipol Airport when I was 5) and "Therese" after my mom -- because we're all scared of her (ha ha ha).
Luckily for Bobbi (a.k.a. Tabitha and so nicknamed after my father complained that no one ever gets named after him and he had to get into the act somehow...) it turns out that "Tabitha" is a Hebrew name which means graceful gazelle. Suh-weeet.
In the end however, Tempest the stormy one solved the dilemma and controversy regarding the new baby's first name, second name and nickname.
Tempest just calls her "Two".
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