What's In A Name

I don't think I've ever been thrilled with my name. Lots of people say how pretty it is. I love to tell the story of how I got the name. My mother was drying a frying pan and when she turned it over there on the bottom was the name Laurel. Good thing it wasn't Revere ware or something like that.

I try to make it funny and give it some punch; when people ask me what my name is I say "Laurel, like Laurel and Hardy". I like the laughter it brings. I am also delighted when they say no, like mountain Laurel or something more feminine.

My mother never liked her name. Her mother didn't have a cute story to go with it. In fact, the doctor named my mother. I suppose after six or eight kids out of a total of ten you get name weary.

One reason I've never been excited by my name is it's so serious? for lack of a better word. Although it is rather unique; I haven't run into a lot of people with the same moniker. I guess I'm grateful that I wasn't named something like Buffy or anything equally as cutesy.

Now, due to a typo on my part, I'm called Grammo. Another unique name that I haven't heard anyone else being called. I might have bristled at it in the beginning thinking it was a combination of Grandma and Elmo but I like it.