What's In a Name?

Creating this blog has been an interesting experience, it’s given me a few things to think about:  The title, my name, the over-all design, and the stories that I will give you.

 

At first, I thought I would use a pen name, Sara Randall Holmes, and found that I confused some of my friends - they not knowing if it were I who wrote these pieces, or another person.  Explanations had to be made.  What a pain.  I wondered if it was worth the confusion, or should I stay with my real name?

Even though Sara is my real middle name, I use Randall, my grandmother’s maiden name, and Holmes, her mother’s maiden name. I figured these names were in the family, and they could become mine.  I liked the sound of them when put together. I may still use Sara Randall Holmes, it feels comfortable.

But, for the time being, I’ve changed back to my real first name, and middle name, leaving off my last name.  I sign my name, on my pottery, KSara...and this is where I’ve ended up, with Kathleen Sara.

The title of my blog, Alice In Wonderland, was chosen because it is about a little girl with adventures to tell.  Am I Alice, or am I the little girl, Kathy....or the grownup who can’t figure out which name to use?

In 1862, these stories of Alice were told to children, these stories were known as Alice’s Adventures Underground.  When published in 1865, the title was changed to Alice In Wonderland.  The author’s name was Lewis Carroll.  His real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.  Lewis Carroll was his pen name, a pseudonym, becoming a version of his first and middle names in reverse order. I wonder what confusion these names became for his friends, family, and readers.

I recently saw a documentary about Mark Twain.  Of course we know his real name was Samuel Clemens....but the question became, for him....Who am I?  Later in his life, it was said he became more like Mark Twain, than Samuel Clemens. This makes me wonder.....

.......What’s in a name?  When changing your name, does that name change you in the process?