What’s in a Name?

There are names for many things and places.  And I’m sure there’s a story behind the name of that park or school or monument or street.  But we become numb to names and they often go virtually unnoticed.

Inside of a building may hold the names of benefactors or public officials that assisted in its creation. Plaques sometimes tell a brief synopsis of why and who and when. But in the end, most people don’t care or don’t know or don’t connect to the name.

Some are easy to figure out like – Mountains State Park or Martin Luther King Boulevard or the Statue of Liberty. But what’s the story behind the William T. Davis Refuge Area or Abraham Myers Street or the Ernst & Young Building? You get the point.

I’ve heard it said, “We will never forget.” But most do. Life’s too busy, there’s new worries, and old stuff gets crowded out. They’ll forget about me too. Even if I have a portrait commissioned or put a statue of myself in a park, I’ll become something to dust or a place for pigeons to land without a second glance.

The reality is we can only do our best to create memories and subtle influence with children, grandchildren, close friends, and those we care about. Sorry, but most of us aren’t going to be famous or have something named after us.  We will likely only be remembered by those that are the most important to us and in the end, that’s what matters.

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