Thursday, March 17, 2011

What's in a name?

For starters, at this late hour on this particular day, I am stone cold sober. Never a specific need of a reason, and without guarantee that sometime after the clock strikes again, it all behooves me to make this quick, at least under 45 minutes. More for the time stamp than the bottle, mind you.

No, my grandfather's nickname was Paddy for some reason, perhaps because he drank, I couldn't say; and it is also doubtful I would have understood an explanation, as French as he was. And on the other side, German, though lineage does indicate some Anglo in there somewhere. So I will leave it by stating a distaste for green brews.

And I suppose I should be grateful that a more formal moniker was attached, although the shortened version readily rhymes in the ten-year old mind. I was not built for speed. But young minds test fate, and misjudge patience as passivity plus distance of a reach, the grasp of a bale-bucker. It ended soon enough.

I have a patch of hair quite lighter than the rest, and once the mind of others was developed enough to make associations, I acquired my own nick. "Spot." That was fine back then. But you know, you'll always be seventeen years old in your home town.  Don't.

A certain level of sophistication occurred about the same time I decided I was going to be a poet or philosopher, still folks insist the shorter and familiar, family in particular. And farmers.

Today I have another name, one truer than than a button pleading, "Kiss Me! I'm Irish!" and answer to it readily. And in ten short days, if  you see me, holler it loud, clearer than bells, and prepare to lose your green to me.

4 comments:

Crash said...

Stereotyped Irish and German mentalities can conflict. Those are my bloodlines, too. I use this to make excuses for my sometimes erratic behavior.
Have fun!

TenMile said...

ten days until vegas, huh. I'm told that is a city of sin, and eeeeville. That so?

I mean, what with the media not being trustworthy and all.Do they really gamble there? Like, does the government really run the whorehouse and with the same results as they did Government Motors? I mean, like, man, thats neat, you know.

Expect a couple of posts before you take off to enjoy yourself. Have you posted over on that critic's place yet?

bastinptc said...

@ Crash, sorry you won't be joining us. I'll keep you posted.

@ TM, Expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to LV. Who are you channeling today, man?

What critic's place is that? If you mean PORT, I did so last week, which should be it until April.

TenMile said...

If PORT is where you published the review of the book - which is what I was waiting to read (your write-up). Then PORT I'll go to.

I'm just high on interior snickerability. I pulled off a sneaky bit of misdirection in the village and the target fell for it. I'm not suppose to do things like that so I have to keep reminding myself "I've been there and done that" and not gloat.

Still.