Tuesday, September 30, 2008

From the other blogs: Monday, October 03, 2005

aristhemedes lamarck d.c. cruz. grade 3. why burden a child with this name? i grew up fighting "monabelle". my feelings of intense hate for my name has not gone away. maybe a little diminished. but there still and very strong.
when i first went to school as a tag-along to my way-too-mature-for-her-age older sister maita, i did not know that my name was the letters M,O,N,A,B,E,L,L and E i wrote on the first line of my pad paper in school. when asked, i always say my name was yenyen. it was not even my official nickname of moonyeen, a derivation of my legal first name, but simply yenyen, invented by lisping siblings who couldn't pronounce the fancy red-indianish moonyeen. during that first year in school, i, auguring of things to come, got bored with the normal and decided to put a bar connecting the two "l"s. and when the teacher, mrs. odilao, asked who her new student named Monabehe was, i only vaguely thought that it was probably me she was referring to and that i shouldn't have tampered with the symbols because they apparently stand for something to others.

when i was old enough to do so, i remember questioning my mother and father about their judgement in choosing a label for me. instead of feeling special in being the only child among seven to be so blessed as to be baptized with the cleverest combination of their names, ramon and annabella, i felt like the singled out ugly duckling, so hated and unloved that i was condemned to a life lived with the eternal burden a terrible name.

i hated being introduced to others. i blame my name now for my shyness and underachiving in high school and college. monabelle did not match my idea of who i was. in my mind, i was this vibrant, cool and intelligent chick, everything opposite what "monabelle" called to mind.

it has been over a decade since i have been introduced to others as monabelle. in a previous career, my official byline was yenyen. and it has been yenyen since then. my email, my calling card, everything almost except my ATM card.

googling monabelle will produce an old lady in ohio and a gift shop in UK and the most wonderful of all, the one which might make me love my name finally, is this theory that leonardo da vinci painted monabelle, not monalisa.
i am grateful to the kabalarians for putting into words the effect my name had, is having on my life.

Although the name Monabelle creates executive ambitions, we emphasize that it limits self-expression and friendly congeniality with a moody disposition. This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses in the reproductive organs, heart, lungs and bronchial area.

The name of
Monabelle has made you rather reserved and, at times, secretive about your personal affairs. As a result, people find it difficult to understand you and you suffer through loneliness. You are interested in understanding life along scientific, religious, and philosophical lines. Also, you derive much enjoyment from reading and from being out in nature. At times, you find it easier to express your thoughts in writing, rather than verbally. You are astute regarding the value of money, have good business judgment, and can drive a hard bargain if such is required. This name has not allowed you to express fully the softer, more spontaneous qualities of your nature because of its practical business attributes.

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