The Whipple
Whipple, JWhip, Cool Whip, Whiplash, Whipple Ripple, Whips, WhippleWhips, Hwhipple.
I have been addressed by all of these nicknames and yes, I have heard of Whipple's Disease, I have seen the Mr. Whipple commercials, I do realize my name rhymes with nipple, and please, don't ever call it the Whipple and Nae Nae. I've been called by my last name more times than my first, partly because having a top ten name makes it difficult to differentiate the multiple Jessica's in each of my classes, and also because most people find my last name phonically pleasing. And so, I find my last name to be a bigger part of my identity than my first name. I have no clue of the etymology of my last name, but I can tell you that there was some guy a couple hundred years ago with the last name Whipple who signed the Declaration of Independence (I wonder if he had a nickname). It's never bothered me that my last name is the point of interest, or that the most common compliment I get is "I like your last name." When people ask me what I would like to be called, the list of nicknames scrolls in my head. I'm not just Jessica, but I'm Jessica Whipple, and perhaps in this wave of feminism, I might even be hesitant about giving my name up when I marry.
Anna Quindlen made the choice to keep her maiden name, but she wrote that "there are two me's, the me who is the individual and the me who is a part of a family of four..." She felt that her decision reflected her individual desires but it didn't take into account the family that she would have later on. This becomes a dilemma when what's best for the individual and what's best for the group contradict. Any leader understands that their responsibility is to do what's best for the group. They risk being labelled selfish if they do anything else.
My sister-in-law became a mother four months ago. I think a mother is a great example of the "two" dilemma. A mother makes a lot of sacrifices for their child. She has herself, the independent individual, and then she has herself, the mother. Though she used to make her decisions for her independent self, like sleeping 8 hours, and going out, now she goes against those desires to meet the needs of a 4-month baby. There are two sides to her and her choices can't always accommodate both. Beowulf had this dilemma as well. He sacrificed his safety in the physical battles, so he could win the internal battle of pride and fame.
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| Mr. Whipple, Toilet Paper Salesman |
Anna Quindlen made the choice to keep her maiden name, but she wrote that "there are two me's, the me who is the individual and the me who is a part of a family of four..." She felt that her decision reflected her individual desires but it didn't take into account the family that she would have later on. This becomes a dilemma when what's best for the individual and what's best for the group contradict. Any leader understands that their responsibility is to do what's best for the group. They risk being labelled selfish if they do anything else.
My sister-in-law became a mother four months ago. I think a mother is a great example of the "two" dilemma. A mother makes a lot of sacrifices for their child. She has herself, the independent individual, and then she has herself, the mother. Though she used to make her decisions for her independent self, like sleeping 8 hours, and going out, now she goes against those desires to meet the needs of a 4-month baby. There are two sides to her and her choices can't always accommodate both. Beowulf had this dilemma as well. He sacrificed his safety in the physical battles, so he could win the internal battle of pride and fame.
Ahhh! What insight in the very last paragraph- this is something I've always thought about when it comes to teachers who are also mothers. There's just a part that's missing if you don't have children of your own (and I struggle with this because I want to do a good job!)
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you talked about your last name, not trying to get deep and introspective but just giving it to us. You don't know a deep analysis of your last name or where it came from, so you didn't bullshit it, which was nice to read. You definitely communicated your love-hate relationship well, and how even though it brings a lot of comments, you don't want to give up your name. Fun read
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