“What’s in a name?” The Bard asks us in Romeo & Juliet
Have always believed a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. At the same time, had never given it much thought. In fact, I did not even know the meaning of my own name until just last week. It made me smile (I’ll never tell).
The title of EF’s latest Attraction is “Emily,” a derivative of the medieval Roman name Aemilius which translates to “rival” or “to emulate.” And also “eager.” A suitable name for an athlete, is it not?
One thing is true of Emilys from my experience, I have never met one I did not admire. From classmates and co-workers, to famous Emilys like Emily Dickinson, Emily Blunt (a pisces) and of course my personal hero, Emily Haines of the Canadian rock band, Metric, have all danced circles around my impressionable skull. The latter is the true inspiration for this project.
Emily Haines is actually a dyed-in-the-wool Aquarius. Sun, Moon, as well as a whopping 60% of her total birth chart falls on the water-bearer’s shoulders (Aquarius is an air sign, but for the longest time I assumed it was water. Can you see why?)
Another Emily was my competition, my rival at a two-semester marketing internship in undergrad. She had the inside edge (was there first, and was also more popular) and never relinquished her stranglehold on that company’s single vacant executive position post graduation. I wasn’t bitter, being the trusting, non-competitive fur ball I am. Even after she eviscerated me I still sort of had a crush on her. And! Get this… She had… 🥁 a pet snake! (That should always be a red flag, right?😅)
Maybe there is more to a name than I previously thought. What’s your belief? And what does your name mean?
E.F.
P.S. The network says the ratings for Emily have been outstanding thus far. Tune in again this Thursday March 7, as we head back to the rink for Round 2!! “FIGHT!” A psychological ice skating montage I edited in film school feat. Emma Stone and Margot Robbie. And a hot soundtrack in Meg Myers’s cover of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill.
I had that album. I used to thrash the life out of it, esp Emily’s Song. A really enjoyable post
Excellent! “The Story in Your Eyes” is a real banger from that album also.
I adore the name Emily.
My name means the harvester.
However, when I was about 8 years old, my parents were having another baby.
They were looking in one of those name books. My step father came to my name and burst out laughing. He said my name meant “Maiden bearing ears of corn”.
He pushed my hair aside and pointed to my ears. All the adults in the room laughed at me.
It was a horrible thing for a young girl to think she had big ugly corn ears. I’ve never gotten over that. However, it did not ruin my life. LOL
Oh how easily our beautiful names can inflict injury upon us! By others; intentional or non. From meaning and origin horror stories like yours, to mispronunciations and phonentical funnies… Having to share the SAME name with someone, like 3 Katies in a kindergarten classroom! Or having the same name as a celebrity and being overshadowed by them as a result. Thank you for sharing this story And for the kind words on the video. Made my day.
Pleasure! The video is terrific! I liked it on Vimeo as well.
btw I think Resa is beautiful name, and speaking of its origin, if anything, has the added bonus of conjuring a Grim Reaper😈 (Harvest) Which is totally BA
LOL! That’s me… a BA!
👏🏼😎
Ursus, bear in Latin, is basis for my name.
You must have been welcome in Finland as The Bear is The National Animal🐻
Funny you should ask. In Finnish “uros” translates as “stud” for human (also ‘male’ in the animal kingdom), so when I told my future wife when we met that’s my real name, not just my chat handle, she did not believe me. 😂
Bear in Finnish is “karhu”.
Hahaha That is amazing!👍
The name Kevin is Irish and literally means handsome. I won’t argue with that 😂
Haha You’re like Yeah names are Def always accurate😄👌
I don’t have to define the meaning of my name, do I? Unfortunately, I haven’t found the associated one yet (the lamp!).😜 Anyway, Emily is a magical and beautiful name. I remember an “Emily” in David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, who had a tragic fate, or in a song by Simon & Garfunkel: Emily wherever I may find her, which I love as much as the Moody Blues’.🤙🖖
Your comment is Golden, my friend. Like your site, and spirit. Fantastic! Simon and Garfunkel too, of course🎼📒🧞♂️🖖😎
Thank you, mate. Of course, I’m learning even more among such good friends like you like you.😉🙏🖖🙏
Umm. I don’t know any Emilys in real life. I must look out for them! Two ‘Emily’ songs to add to the list: Pink Floyd’s ‘See Emily Play’, and All About Eve’s ‘Like Emily’.
Yes! Excellent.. Bonus: Do you know what album ‘See Emily Play’ first appeared on? I cannot remember, or find answer online. Am still hazy on Pink Floyd’s earlier works.
I think it was a standalone single. I recently saw it performed by Nick Mason’s band Saucerful of Secrets. They are great live if you get the chance – but much of their Roundhouse set is on Youtube.
EF, hi. It’s Greg Nikolic/Catxman. I have a new website. Come visit and start leaving comments …
http://www.dark.sport.blog
I was just reading your last blog from the previous site and then noticed it was gone…
Far Out!👍
Anyone with a pet snake must be trouble lol
I don’t think I personally know any Emilys, but most of the cover art for my books was done by a French-Canadian artist Émilie Léger, so, close enough. And as you may recall I too am a big fan of Emily Haines ― also a Canadian. So apparently I like my Emilys to be from Canada! 😁
Did Leger do your site image? (Shards) It’s very intriguing. Yes, of course I remember you are a fan as well!🤘
Yes, that’s custom artwork Émilie did for my book “Shards” ― she had a pre-existing piece that I wanted to use, but she no longer had the high-resolution version of it, so it wouldn’t have been suitable for printing. She made that one for me instead. She also did the artwork for Ravels and Father’s Books as custom commissions, and the artwork for Television Man and Night Watchman is hers as well, although those were existing pieces that I licensed. If I ever finish another book then I’ll hit her up for the artwork for those, too! 😁
Neato! Good to have that working relationship.
I’ve never given too much thought to the meaning of my name. I guess I didn’t question it because the meaning is generally obvious and positive. I remember being in a funk at home one day as a university student, and a friend randomly sent me this:
You better believe my mood improved immensely. How could it not as I danced, and danced by myself in my bedroom for many minutes? 😁