Saturday, July 27, 2024

What's in a Name?

Here's June-Marie in her girl scout uniform--beret, white gloves, sash for troop 202. Not many merit badges. She was new to Girl Scouts, but it was a given that she'd have at least one for dance, because her mother was a dance teacher. Oh, and one for sewing. And then there's a pair of wings. I'm not sure what those are for--perhaps she could actually fly when no one was looking?

Oh, and you might wonder--who is this June-Marie? She looks a lot like Jamie. Well, that's because she is Jamie. Yes, she's me, in an earlier incarnation.

Sometimes, I miss June-Marie. Hardly anyone is left in this world who knows about June-Marie. She is Catholic. She was confirmed in the church. She considered becoming a nun after she saw Haley Mills in The Trouble with Angels. She's a good girl, her French grandmother's angel. But the trouble with angels is that they grow restless. They want to take to the skies and fly away.

Hence, my transformation to Jamie. The name was always a family name. Papa Callan said he combined June and Marie and came up with my nickname. Sometimes, I wonder if I would have been James if I was born a boy. And I will confess I’ve always like the androgyny of the name. I could go undercover as a boy. I could go on a great adventure and seek passage on a ship bound for the Americas! I could join Peter Pan and The Lost Boys!

And now, Jamie is just my name. It’s who I am.

And, June-Marie who is undercover. She holds within her heart my earliest memories, my secret self, my Frenchness, my grandmother, my good-girlness.

Creative Friends, we all have a secret name or many secret names. Perhaps this name was given to you during your childhood. Perhaps a good friend or a special person gave you this secret name. Perhaps it’s a secret name that you willingly left behind. Ask yourself what does the name tell you about your past. What forgotten part of you does it call forth.

Now, ask yourself what treasures does she have to share with you? Perhaps it’s it's time to re-introduce yourself to this past self. This week, I’d like you to approach your work as if it was your secret self was the one behind the wheel of creation. And then, get ready for new, uncharted adventures.

Love,

Jamie

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