My Name(s)

It is not very often someone can say that they have two names. But—I happen to be one of those people. 

Having two names is a lot like having two different personalities. always conflicting with each other. But sometimes  complementing each other,diversifying my personality. 

I am of Scottish descent. Scotland has always been in conflict with its neighbor England. When the English military would go around the countryside and try to find men that were part of the Scottish forces, Scottish men would call themselves by their middle names to avoid detection. This is why I was called by my middle name growing up. George. 

My first name, David, sounds official. important. When people call me David, it makes me picture a gold name tag sitting on a desk with a large leather chair in a big executive office of a huge company overlooking some city sitting on a coast of some vast bright blue ocean. A 130 story tall stone skyscraper overlooking the Alantlic ocean in New York, with the Statue of Liberty in view. A hightech glass complex overlooking the Pacific in LA, with a helipad to fly over the unholy traffic.  

David makes me think of success and materialistic things. Watches. Chains. Suits. Designer clothes. Forgein Cars. But most importantly a bright future. David is elegant, classy, reflective, decisive, determined. Like the hook of a song, it is catchy, something everyone can get behind. It is what everyone remembers. It is what everyone looks to when there is success. David is an observer, sitting back and letting things play out in front of him, taking mental notes to use to his advantage later.  

But George gives off a different energy from David. 

George is emotional. Driving with the windows down playing music at full volume and feeling the song rattle my skull. If David is the hook then George is the beat drop. David is the part of the song you can sing along to and George is the part that sends you back into your chair like a right hook of bass, trap drums and a flow so crazy it leaves you dizzy.  It’s loud, in your face, won’t take anything from anyone—and will let you know it too. Like an NBA player. explosive and reactive. Always on his toes, ready to cross up and score on anyone in front of him. Maybe getting in other people’s way sometimes, but because he is a procrastinator, he’ll think about doing it later, and probably never get to it. 

These two names express the two different sides of who I am. I’m the executive with an office that has a view, but I am also the impulsive loudmouth who is always a step ahead. I am catchy and easy to sing along to, but I’m also in your face and unpredictably skull rattling. I’m stone cold focused but also a major procrastinator. Even though I have two names, I only have one me and I would never trade that for anything in the world.