Saturday, February 20, 2010

The Name Story

My name is Silver. Like the color, the precious metal, the element. No, my sisters are not Gold and Bronze. No, I did not make that up. No, I have never been a stripper. Yes, that is really my name.

I was named after a Steve Miller Band song. No, it is not on their Greatest Hits. Quicksilver Girl. Sailor album, track 5. It was San Francisco, 1972. I am reminded to feel lucky I was not named BrownRice Moonbeam Volkswagen.

I have always been called Silver although it has not always been my legal name. My birth certificate says Jean because my grandmother died a few months before I was born and that was her name. I changed it legally to Silver when I went back to my maiden name after the divorce. Jean is now my middle name.

You will always remember you know someone named Silver. You will always forget it is attached to me. You will probably call me Sylvia, Silva, Crystal, Summer, Amber, Sterling, Season or some outlandish thing you associate with either hippies or shiny objects by mistake. Don't feel bad. Everybody does it at some point.

I will never find my name pre-printed on a coffee mug, a key chain or any other kitschy souvenir material. And if I ever do, I will be pissed.

EDIT: Only because of the comments that follow.  Mesmery and Me around 1976:

4 comments:

Mez said...

I can so relate to this blog entry. How do you answer the "where did your parents come up with that name?" question? Particularly strangers that you know you'll never see again. Do you give them the song story or do you make up shit? I used to say things like "I'm a product of the 70's" or "My parents were hippies"
Now I like to make up stories...not entirely untrue stories, but stories that sound way more fun and interesting than the actual story (the one that they told me growing up)...that they were "mesmerized by having a baby girl" (said in the sighing dreamy voice.....)
I used to hate my name, but now I like not being like everyone else. Not that I ever was like everyone else, but there were some teenage years of angst that we all had.
I've never known you to be anyone other than "My oldest friend, Silver"....People always smile and say.."of course you have a friend named Silver"

Silver said...

"Of course you have a friend named Mesmery" I have heard that MANY times. awesome.

I have a short version and a long version depending on how stupid the person looks to me at the time.

I lived in Charlotte for a while and people didn't even ask. They just assumed I was a stripper. That was a nice break. :)

Same about the "used to hate." Lots of tears shed. Now? A shining double-sided sheild of Fuck Off and I Dare You to the world.

Mez said...

Yeah, people think Mesmery is a stripper name a lot too. Which doesn't bother me at all...I kind of laugh about it.
I too guage my stories on what I think they can handle by how many times they say "like" or "awesome" when I first meet them.
It's fun because people NEVER remember my name...but they remember that I'm "that girl with the funny name"...which is just fine with me...especially when they fall low on the "stupid meter"

Silver said...

Hmmm...I say Like and Awesome quite a bit. Camouflage? exactly.

Nobody remembering is totally their loss. People lose all the time in 3D too.

"You don't LOOK like a Silver..."
wtf? who does?