October 31, 2025. BIG BERTHA

Marsha. WHY??  I  NEVER liked my name. I've been told that I was named after my mother's best friend in high school. Why wasn't her name Sophie? I would have made a great Sophie. Seriously--I was called Marcia Brady a billion times back in the day. UGH. Let's FACE IT -there are just some names that need to go AWAY. One that's at the top of my list (besides Marsha) is Bertha. Other contenders include--AND THIS IS JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION-- Esther, Edith, Edna, Ethel, Olive, Hazel and Eloise. FYI the name Marsha was ONLY popular in the 1950s-1960s. NO ONE in their right mind would name their poor daughter that today--thankfully-- BUT according to  internet sources --all the other names that-- I THINK SHOULD BE PUT OUT TO PASTURE-- are ACTUALLY vintage names that are MAKING A COME BACK. OMG. I can't image GEN Z  going that retro. Good luck to GEN Beta--they'll all need therapy........The reason I'm thinking about names is because I just finished this great book called Names by Florence Knapp. This intriguing story is set in 1987 in England as Cora, the main character, makes her way to the town hall to register and name her newborn son. Her husband Gordon, a well-known doctor, expects her to name the baby after him to carry on the family tradition. Cora has reservations about naming her son after his father for fear that naming him Gordon will shape his destiny. Cora dreams instead of naming him Julian, a name of his own. Cora and Gordon's nine year old daughter has her own idea about her brother's name--she thinks he should be called Bear because he is cute and cuddly. The story then branches off in three different directions that  explore what would happen if the child was named Gordon, Julian and finally Bear.  Each life is totally different and begs the reader to think about fate, free-will, identity and how important a name really can be. There is so much to this book-- but I don't want to say anything else-- so you will have to read it for yourself to find out what happens. Enjoy.