Many years ago in a land far away, lived a simple woman who dreamed some day she would have a son and she knew she would name him Samuel Rueben. The first year she had a daughter and named her Debra Louann. The next year she had a daughter and named her Patricia Lynn. The third year she had a daughter and named her Dona Marie. The fourth year she had a son and when she told the sister in the Catholic Hospital in the Catholic town his name was Samuel Rueben they gasped and crossed themselves and told her that could not happen. Samuel Rueben was a Jewish name and she was a Protestant. She insisted. Now you need a little background on this simple creature so here it is....
Back in those days religions were set in stone. She was not Catholic. She was not Jewish. She was not anything in particular, which made her a Protestant. Back then it mattered. Her husband came to the hospital to peer at the baby boy through the glass and his work was done. He would be back to get her in 5 days. He did not care what it's name was so she was alone in her protestations that the name was Samuel Rueben. The sisters refused to write the name. Finally, the day came to leave and the baby had no name. She knew she had to do something so she named him Earl Edward, but in her heart he was Sam. They let her go home with the baby now that it had a "proper name."
Her husband was stunned that the baby was not named Samuel Rueben, but Earl was his given name, so he accepted that. It was 4 months before her mother asked the baby's name.
"What is the baby's name? I know it is Samuel, but Samuel what?"
"His name is Earl Edward." And thus came the tear filled confession that she had let the Catholic sisters bully her into naming him something besides Samuel Rueben.
Never was the baby ever called Earl by anyone. He was called Sam. It is now 54 years later and he is known in the work place as Sam. He is known at home as Sam. He went to school as Sam and Earl Edward is only used on legal papers like wills and such. He was named after his father who was Earl, but he called him Sam.
You might ask why I did not insist on putting it on his birth certificate, but you would have to have known me back then. I was a very weak person back then and second guessed everything I did. I tried to please everyone around me. I still fight a daily battle to know that I am really worth something in this world. It is called co-dependency and is a complicated little personality disorder. I read books on it. I went to a couple meetings on it. It is very common in conjunction with living with an alcoholic. I married 3 alcoholics in rapid succession and divorced them in rapid succession before I decided it was my problem and not theirs. People who know me now just think I am an overbearing b----, and they may very well be correct. That is alright. Some people actually like me!
So there you have it...Another confession from the warped mind of Lou Mercer. The more I write about things, the more I understand myself. Hopefully, some day, I will no longer be a work in progress, but will be a normal person with normal wants and needs. When that day comes, I hope I am no longer afraid of spiders, because I gotta' tell you, that is a big one!
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
Back in those days religions were set in stone. She was not Catholic. She was not Jewish. She was not anything in particular, which made her a Protestant. Back then it mattered. Her husband came to the hospital to peer at the baby boy through the glass and his work was done. He would be back to get her in 5 days. He did not care what it's name was so she was alone in her protestations that the name was Samuel Rueben. The sisters refused to write the name. Finally, the day came to leave and the baby had no name. She knew she had to do something so she named him Earl Edward, but in her heart he was Sam. They let her go home with the baby now that it had a "proper name."
Her husband was stunned that the baby was not named Samuel Rueben, but Earl was his given name, so he accepted that. It was 4 months before her mother asked the baby's name.
"What is the baby's name? I know it is Samuel, but Samuel what?"
"His name is Earl Edward." And thus came the tear filled confession that she had let the Catholic sisters bully her into naming him something besides Samuel Rueben.
Never was the baby ever called Earl by anyone. He was called Sam. It is now 54 years later and he is known in the work place as Sam. He is known at home as Sam. He went to school as Sam and Earl Edward is only used on legal papers like wills and such. He was named after his father who was Earl, but he called him Sam.
You might ask why I did not insist on putting it on his birth certificate, but you would have to have known me back then. I was a very weak person back then and second guessed everything I did. I tried to please everyone around me. I still fight a daily battle to know that I am really worth something in this world. It is called co-dependency and is a complicated little personality disorder. I read books on it. I went to a couple meetings on it. It is very common in conjunction with living with an alcoholic. I married 3 alcoholics in rapid succession and divorced them in rapid succession before I decided it was my problem and not theirs. People who know me now just think I am an overbearing b----, and they may very well be correct. That is alright. Some people actually like me!
So there you have it...Another confession from the warped mind of Lou Mercer. The more I write about things, the more I understand myself. Hopefully, some day, I will no longer be a work in progress, but will be a normal person with normal wants and needs. When that day comes, I hope I am no longer afraid of spiders, because I gotta' tell you, that is a big one!
"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."
1 comment:
I love it! Happy birthday Sam!
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