My name, “Heather” comes from the English word heather, used as the name for the variety of small shrubs with pink or white flowers which commonly grow in rocky areas. It was originally derived from the Middle English era word, hather. The name did not become popular until the later 20th century, peaking in the 1970s where 6,072 babies per million were named Heather. However, the name significantly dropped in usage in the 21st century, as seen in the graph below. This is one reason why I feel my name is extra special to my identity and uniqueness. Today, I do not know anyone my age or near my age who’s name is Heather. I only know 2-3 adults. Since there are no Heather’s in my classes or really in the places/things I do in my life, I feel like my name does to some extent define me and makes me feel a little more special then if a lot of people had my name. For example the name Emma is really popular in my generation today. But to be honest, I do not think it is your name that defines you as a person. It is the actions you take and the beliefs you express that truly define you as the unique person you are. The names you use to describe yourself such as athletic, smart, shy, outgoing, funny, lazy, etc. collectively define you as a person but not one single word such as your name. Your name can be one of the words that comes together with others though. Like if someone is called gay, bisexual, dyslexic, etc., this may be a part of their identity but it is not the only thing defining them as a person. I am not saying I do not like my name because I actually really LOVE my name and I would not want to change it. I was named after my great grandpa Harry for my first name and great grandma Fay for my middle name Fay because in the Jewish tradition children are usually named by picking a name that has the first letter of a family member’s name who has passed away. So because I was named after someone important in the family it does give my name more meaning and I feel more connected and special to the family.
After reading the article by Anna Quindlen, I immediately thought about soccer when I was trying to think of an example of when I have been "two," an individual and a part of a whole group or team in this case. Soccer is a great example of me having to be two people at once because I am constantly working to build my individual skills to be a better player, but at the same time I have to do what is best for the team when making decisions on the field. Also there may be times during a game where I am tired or I really do not feel like playing that day but I have to pretend like I do and push through it for the well being of the team. My coach and pretty much any coach will always tell their players that they need to play for the team and not the individual, but in some occasions, the individual's needs and wants overpower their thoughts of doing things for the team. For example some people may want to score a goal really badly, so they will not pass to anyone every time they get the ball and will loose it too much, hurting the team as a whole. But the biggest concern is when people just do not try their hardest and put in 100%. This really annoys me and I think every soccer player and any other sports team players in general have experienced there inner selves taking over their ability to help the team. My goal every time I step on the soccer field is to put forth my best effort and make the best decisions I can that will benefit our team. But there are times where I struggle with this because I get tired and just let myself loose focus and that is when I make mistakes that can hurt the team's ability to succeed. The effort of every player is equally important to the team even if there are different skill leveled players. The team can only reach its goals if everyone thinks a little less about what the individual wants and a little more about what the team needs.
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The diction in your last sentence was very interesting, contrasting the "want" vs. the "need." ALso, when I read the prompt for this blogpost my mind immediately connected the splitting of two as identity through name; I thought it was interesting how you thought of it as identity through giving. I was also wondering about how you would identify yourself with your name and the other "names" that you mentioned? I am curious to see how you would describe yourself given you are a combination of multiple things along with your name.
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