Friday, September 30, 2005
What’s in a name anyway?
My wedding day will be a sad day. In fact, I have no doubt that I will cry a lot. Of course, mingled in with the others, will be tears of inexplicable joy. However, some of those tears will be shed at the thought of all that will cease to be. More specifically, I will be saddened by the prospect of ceasing to be an “Etya’ale”. Essentially, losing the name will be highly symbolic of the severing of family ties. Yet, that is only one of the regrettable consequences of my marriage. For, more than just a hard last name to pronounce, Etya’ale is a name infused with deep meaning. According to the Bulu tribe, an ethnic group in my native Cameroon, a name either describes the state of mind of the parents at the birth of a child or could equally reflect their deepest wish for the child’s life. Thus, when my grandmother named my father “Etya’ale”, she envisioned a life of service for him. In Bulu it literally means a “stepping board”, something that helps others spring up to a more fulfilled life. The implication is a life of humility and servant hood; in many ways my father exemplifies his name.