In the early 1990's the movie Pretty Women was released. This is one of the highest grossing romantic comedy movies to date, making nearly 463.4 million dollars. Around this same time, just months later really. A small girl was born to two "hippie" parents. They grew their own food, had never owned a TV, and met while hitchhiking in Washington. They were set on naming their daughter Julia (after the Beatles song of course). The doctor who delivered the little girl was horrified at their choice of name. Why would someone with the last name Roberts choose to name their baby girl Julia? Hadn't they seen the movies? Of course they hadn't.
And that is how I came to be called Julia Roberts, not after the actress, but after a song. It isn't that bad really, sure the jokes get annoying, but at least no one forgets my name. Having this name has shaped me as a person. There is that famous question, "What's in a name?", well my name is most certainly a product of pop culture. It is chock full of connotations and memories. How people view the actress Julia Roberts, almost inevitably effects how others view me. If Julia Roberts has a new exciting movie out, my name is the "cool" and "funny". And on the other hand, if the actress hasn't put out new work, or her recent movies are a flop at the box office, my name is suddenly "unfortunate" or "embarrassing".
Growing up with my name has taught me many lessons. Patience is one of the major ones. There is only so many times you can hear the same Julia Roberts joke in one day (substitute teachers and meeting new people always meant an onslaught of new Roberts jokes). I learned quickly that it doesn't achieve anything to get mad or offend at the person however. I've learned patience and fake laughter is the best way to deal with the situation. I have also learned persistence. I cannot count the number of times I haven't received a call back from a job application, because the employer thought it was a fake name for a joke. So, I would fill out the application again, with a cover letter this time, explaining my unfortunate situation.
My favorite movie isn't Pretty Women, and no I won't be a run away bride when I get married, but I do feel that my name has shaped me as a person. It may be annoying at times, but my name has also opened doors for me. And no matter how many times I hear the same joke, I will never change my name, because it is who I am and it has helped create my life story.
I thought this blog post was interesting because I can somewhat relate. I was not named after any kind of pop culture reference, but I rarely meet a new person who does not start singing "Georgia on my Mind" as soon as they find out my name. I can also relate when you said your name has opened doors for you. People are much more likely to remember you if there is something unique about you and having an uncommon name makes you unique without even trying. As a business major, trying to get recruiters to remember you is a huge deal and having an uncommon name has already given me an advantage.
ReplyDeleteI think your name is awesome! It is so true that people will remember you - just imagine going to a job and internship fair! You may be the only person the interviewers remember! :-)
ReplyDelete(I met someone named Chris Brown today, he says everyone asks him to sing them a song - haha!)