What's in a Name?

I think I'm asked to repeat my name every day. Every. Day. And while it can get a teensy bit wearisome, I totally get it. It is a STRANGE name, one that can be scary to attempt, so I try to make it easy for folks but saying it slowly and repeating it. I have even prepared story variations of how I explain my name.

There's the: How-do-you-pronounce-it? story. Its like the 2 pronouns 'me' and 'she'... just put them together!

And the: How-do-you-spell-it? story. Its got 4 'e's... I know! I'm a Wheel-of-Fortune nightmare!

And of course the: Where-does-it-come-from? story. Well my real name is Anna Michelle. My folks were going to name me Michelle Anna, but they thought that Anna Michelle flowed better phonetically. In my first few weeks I went from Anna Michelle to Anna Michey and then just to Michey. When my grandmother heard from my mom that they were calling me Michey for short she asked, "why did you name her after a mouse?" So mom went with what she thought was the phonetic spelling of Michey - Meeshee. 'Cause that'll be easier for everyone.

Don't forget about the: Oh! I-thought-you-would-be-Asian(or Russian)! Nope. Nuthin' here but me and my blond hair and transparent pink skin.

And lastly the: You-know-what-you-name-sounds-like? Mushu-pork! I have NEVER heard that before!

If you are with me at Starbucks you chuckle when my answer to the seemingly simple question, "What's your name?" is "Anna" because YOU know different. YOU have the inside scoop.

I used to hate my name. I tried to change it a million times growing up. It just seemed like 'Michelle' or 'Anna' was way cooler, and waaaay easier to deal with. I would have fit it more easily. blended.

But now, I love it.

Its unique, funky, and memorable. Its got flair. It allows me to strike up conversations with strangers. It helps me make people laugh. Its a point of common ground when I meet other members of the 'Weird Name Club', and it is SO fun when I hear of OTHER 'Meeshee's - yep, there are a few of us around :). Plus, maybe one day, it will usher me into the single-name circle... Madonna, Cher, Gaga... you get it.

In a strange way, I've actually become a Meeshee.

I think God has this concept of 'becoming' in mind when He names us: Beloved. Child. Disciple. Follower. Servant. Believer. His expectations aren't that we automatically know how to be these things, but that we spend our lives becoming what He has called us to be.

How is your 'becoming' going?

Gotta run. Gonna hear more stories about my friend Becky's friend Dang while we work at the library. True story. I HAVE to meet Dang - dangit.

I wanna be this...

“Every now and then one meets them. Their very voices and faces are different from ours; stronger, quieter, happier, more radiant. They begin where most of us leave off. They are, I say, recognisable; but you must know what to look for. They will not be very like the idea of 'religious people' which you have formed from your general reading. They do not draw attention to themselves. You tend to think that you are being kind to them when they are really being kind to you. They love you more than other men do, but they need you less. They will usually seem to have a lot of time: you will wonder where it comes from. When you have recognised one of them, you will recognise the next one much more easily. And I strongly suspect (but how should I know?) that they recognise one another immediately and infallibly, across every barrier of colour, sex, class, age, and even of creeds. In that way, to become holy is rather like joining a secret society. To put it at the very lowest, it must be great fun.” C.S. Lewis

thanks for sharing Kenny Nitta - YOU are one of these people!!

To Blog or Not To Blog

So the people I admire most these days seem to be writing about some pretty cool things. On their Blogs. Blog... great word. A word that didn't exist, what, 2 years ago?

Sounds pretty caveman-ish if you ask me.

"Mmm... me think Blog is delicious!" or
"Blog! Wipe feet before come in cave after hunt!"

I was asked this week if I Blog, and I didn't know how to answer. Umm... Sort of? I've thought about it? Well, no. I mean yes... I put up this site like 2 years ago and posted a couple, literally 2, posts. To be honest, when I went to look for it tonight, I was certain that it had disappeared back into the Blog-i-verse. I even forgot what I'd called it. Wow - that's got "impact" written ALL over it, eh?

Seems I've got a bit of a Blog complex.

I'm afraid that my thoughts won't be as cool as the thoughts of those on the Blogs that I read.
I'm afraid that I will run out of things to say.
I'm afraid that I will come across as arrogant, self absorbed or all-knowing.
I'm afraid of being compared to the REAL movers and shakers on the planet and falling short.
I'm afraid of my motives for having a Blog.
I'm afraid of typos and poor grammar.
I'm afraid of not having any followers.
I'm afraid that the people who DO follow me will see the real me and be disappointed.
and many more...

But - I think I'll give it a shot. Mostly because I'm tired of FEAR and the havoc it wreaks. So, this will be a little step toward being unafraid.

If nothing else, it will give me a place to dump what's in my brain and maybe crack myself up a time or two. If you decide to "follow" me (weird - can't we just say hang out with? What's with follow?), AWESOME. Let's see how this goes! If you like it, tell a friend. If you don't, just tell me I've got a great personality.

Done "Blogging" for the night. Hmm... that didn't hurt too much.
Meeshee out.

a brief, miraculous blend

Its 9:54am on Wednesday 1/9/08. I'm in the Jury Assembly Room in Santa Ana, CA on break, wondering if I will be selected for a jury. A TV is on at the front of the room and I can barely hear it... I'm in the back, near a window, at a laptop station. Something is familiar though about what is blaring on TV. I just glanced up and made out the familiar shape of Kirk Franklin and his band and choir behind him, playing and singing their guts out in typical, sold-out, Kirk Franklin style. There are over 600 potential jurors in the room, performing their civic duty in a government building... it doesn't get much more "state" than that... and yet for about 4 minutes the "church" whooshed in declared the gospel in song. The word "SEPARATION" could not exist.

I'm reminded that God does NOT obey the law of the land... He IS the law of the land, and He will make himself known regardless of whatever barriers man erects.

Way to go God.

Ah-Hah Moments

So.

Here we are.

Thanks for coming :).

I hope as we start this journey that together we have numerous 'ah-hah' moments as we wade through life. I kinda think that that's what life really is... a series of 'ah-hah's strung together. I actually like life more AFTER an 'ah-hah' because generally I've learned something that I didn't know before.

Learning is good.

Some of the things I learn are profound, some are maddingly simple. To end my first blog posting ever, I share with you an 'ah-hah' I learned after kissing my 4 year old nephew Johnny goodnight a few months ago.

"Aunt Meeshee... kisses are supposed to be wet."

Ah - HAH!!