My name, it’s meaning unknown to most , is small or humble. While being dull, it’s smooth and direct. It represents change. It’s like sitting by a river. The constant, relaxing flow of water being a source of never-ending distraction. It’s the dull brown dirt surrounding it; steady and level. It’s bringing a blanket just to sit under the trees for hours. Like being there to listen to the birds chirping, the wind brushing the trees, and the water gently running against the small rocks and pebbles within it.

    My name is derived from religion. It belonged to a man in the bible. His name was Saul. A bad man changed for the better. With this change came a new name. He was renamed Paul and led a new life; transitioning from a man who frightened the people around him to someone new. Through modification, this same man became kind and humble, thus deserving the name.

    Seeing as it’s a family tradition to name people after biblical characters, my parents didn’t stop at my first name. My middle name is David; another well-known and powerful biblical figure, responsible for killing a giant and being a ruler.  

    I’d never give up my name, although I didn’t like it when I was younger. I hated how it was uncommon and didn’t seem to be as cool as other names. Now that I’m older, I like that it’s short, hard to mess up, and uncommon. It suits me and my particular affinity for changing things for the better. It’s good to be different, especially with something used as often as a name.