Three Things! That You May or May Not Care About!
One, I can't believe I forgot to tell you! There's a big ol' fancy raffle taking place in honor of Her Bad Mother over at Her Bad Auction where you can buy tickets to win loads of good stuff (including one-a them ubiquitous Fussy tees). All proceeds to go the Muscular Distrophy Association of Canada, an organization close to HBM's heart, as her nephew, Tanner, has it, meaning his life will be much shorter than most. (Click that last link if you'd like to choke up a bit.)
Two, have you seen this new site, babble? That they asked me to write for? And I turned them down? Because my career advancement genes have been replaced by Tinker Toys? So that's fun.
Three: "M." Kennedy? What exactly was my plan with that? It's a little late for pseudonyms, don't you think? Everyone was reassuringly quiet on the subject but I'm not sure I was fooling anyone but myself. So henceforth and so on let's just go ahead and call me by my honest-to-God name, Eden Marriott Kennedy, difficult as it still seems to be for me to embrace it. I was moaning about it the other night -- how yeah, it's a great name and all, but I've spent my entire life saying, No, not Edie, not Edith, not Erin, and then spelling it, and then enduring an East Of/Garden Of remark from every new human being I meet -- and then Jack goes, Okay, how would you like to spend your entire life named Jack Kennedy? That's been a real hoot. I guess we all have our burdens, some just bear them with more nonchalance than others, and smell like Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte to boot.
Two, have you seen this new site, babble? That they asked me to write for? And I turned them down? Because my career advancement genes have been replaced by Tinker Toys? So that's fun.
Three: "M." Kennedy? What exactly was my plan with that? It's a little late for pseudonyms, don't you think? Everyone was reassuringly quiet on the subject but I'm not sure I was fooling anyone but myself. So henceforth and so on let's just go ahead and call me by my honest-to-God name, Eden Marriott Kennedy, difficult as it still seems to be for me to embrace it. I was moaning about it the other night -- how yeah, it's a great name and all, but I've spent my entire life saying, No, not Edie, not Edith, not Erin, and then spelling it, and then enduring an East Of/Garden Of remark from every new human being I meet -- and then Jack goes, Okay, how would you like to spend your entire life named Jack Kennedy? That's been a real hoot. I guess we all have our burdens, some just bear them with more nonchalance than others, and smell like Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte to boot.
43 Comments:
Oh, great. Thank you. Now I have seriously cried about Tanner. I'm trying to eat my lunch, you know!
Hermes Eau d'Orange Verte...mmm.
Can we just use Eden? Or should it be Eden Marriott? I feel like you're in trouble with the whole name like that;>
It is going to be hard to address you as Eden. Too familiar. Like I am getting away with something. But I'll try.
At least nobody in your household is named Milhouse or Adolph.
I mean, I'm assuming here.
i have been trying out calling you "Eden" for the last almost year. i will get there. it is like all of a sudden calling your english professor "Dave" and not Professor or Doctor something. A habit I got over after working with academics for 10 years. Now I just call them other kinds of names. ahem.
so, um, Eden. You are lovely.
You could try having an out and out man's name. I was just thinking yesterday when a saleslady in Ann Taylor* did this thing where she introduced herself to me and shook my hand and then had to comment on my name. Dear people of the world, how come a name like Craige on a girl is perfectly acceptable to comment on, but if my name were just a foreign name you'd never heard of, you'd probably keep your trap shut about it? (*Trying to exchange the clothes from my MIL. Found nothing.)
EVen if I can't call you Mrs. Kennedy anymore, you still rock. With or without Babble.
Water of green oranges?
Glad to hear you're embracing your name. I completely know how you feel. Kristen seems simple enough, but somehow it becomes Christian, Christina, Kirsten, Krissy, Krista, etc... It got to the point where I wouldn't even correct people and whatever they said is what it would be. Then I changed my name entirely so you're still doing better with it than I am.
I've always loved the name Eden. Of course, I was a big Santa Barbara (soap opera) fan while in college. :)
Thanks for the info on Tanner, now we can help.
Try spending your entire life named Mary! Ugh! In elementary school it was nursery rhymes and things that rhyme with Mary. Then people asking me if I was "contrary" and "how does my garden grow?" I'll tell you how it grows, with a swift kick to the booty! Grrr
i feel far too familiar with you to call you eden. i will forever prefer mrs. kennedy.
That's so fine with me.
Eden = lovely.
And that's even before taking into consideration that Mme. Eden MK is so generous with her big heart (and her blog, and her t-shirts...)
(Much too complicated way of saying THANK YOU for all of the above.)
i know your pain. my family calls me kate, my last name is smith. after about the bazillionth time someone asked me to sing "god bless america" i actually learned the words and often sing it on request. that'll teach them.
for what it's worth i like eden, it's a pretty name but mrs. kennedy is nice too.
I actually really like the name Eden, biblical references and all.
It could be worse, though! Every time you feel like moaning about your name just think of all of the awful alternatives your parents could have forced upon you. For example, I have a friend whose mother had the gall (or perhaps insanity) to name her Saint Eden. "Saint" is her first name and "Eden" her middle. She goes by Eden.
I have to admit that I'm a little glad you're not going to be M. Kennedy anymore. I have read too many French novels to see it as anything other than "Monsieur."
1. Tanner. Adorable. Heartbreaking.
2. I browsed through that site, and honestly? Mmmmmmmnnnope. Glad you turned it down - not that it matters, but many of the topics seemed to be, erm, *purposefully* inflammatory.
3. To be honest, I love the name Eden - seriously, LOVE it - I think it's really pretty. Have always thought of you as Mrs. Kennedy??Eden? ummm? and it doesn't quite fit - mostly because of other people - Namely, I used to know another Jack Kennedy, and he was a bit stuffy. I always think of Jack as just plain Jack, no Kennedy attached.
I have to say that the name Eden is a fantastic name. I fully approve. And your husband wins the name argument there. Every friend that he ever had who drove a convertible made some sort of comment about him riding with them, you just know it.
And try having the last name Witt and every clever bastard you meet makes a Half, Dim or Nit comment. Yes, the cutting edge of comedy there, asshat.
I once had a friend, her parents wanted to name her after one of their dead grandfathers. They named her Herma.
Also, I know a woman named Evan. When I see her and her husbands name together in the school directory I always think "Oh, a gay couple!" before I remember.
It could be worse.
I once knew a girl named Heaven. I don't know if that helps any, though.
FWIW, Eden is a lovely name. EdenMarriottKennedy, however, makes me feel very pressured, as a commenter. But that shouldn't matter to you in the slightest (and probably doesn't).
Hi, Eden! I can say your name. I know it's not Edith nor Erin. Mary, no matter what your name had been, kids would have found a way to tease you. My name is Kelly, so I became "Smelly Kelly with a Belly full of Jelly." What-EVER.
Eeek! Two Kikis here! But my Kiki is short for Kikipotamus the Hobo.
Sorry, no, I will always call you Mrs Kennedy. You can't convince me otherwise. I love it.
As for #2: Hip and Edgy appears to mean "Say SHIT FUCK SHIT every two sentences." I'm not clear on how they'll keep that pace up. One can only say shit fuck shit so many times.
It's so funny. I was getting all depressed over my name, which is pronounced different than it is spelled (thanks mom). I actually thought of your name and how I would have had a better life if I had a great name like yours!
Um, Hello? My first boyfriend called me 'meat' for six months. My mom was so proud.
I agree, Babble is a bit fucking foul-mouthed for my taste. I like the writing, the subject matter, but the language is a bit much. I'm not even against saying fuck, but when everyone is fucking saying fuck, then it's too fucking much.
My first name is perfect. It never gets misspelled or mispronounced; however, when it's added to my last name, I get jokes about sewing flags. Perhaps I'll still answer to Flippy No Last Name.
Eden Marriott Kennedy is quite the mouthful. It sounds like a name where I could ask the person if I could borrow a lot of money. And they'd say, "Sure, I wouldn't even notice it was gone."
i get: "crack of dawn" jokes a lot. unpleasant.
helps to know my name is dawn. but i'm sure you figured it out already.
I can only call you M. Kennedy which translates in my mind as Madame Kennedy. Or I just think of you as Fussy. I think everyone has an issue with their name at some point. Yours is very regal. Try these on for size (and yes I know someone named all of these)...Flowers, Sage, Fern, Mairead, Gitana, Meridian, and Ryland.
Yes, everyone buy raffle tickets for Her Bad Auction! You can give AND receive at the same time!
Babble-Hmmm. I could do with less posts about shit and vomit, so I don't know.
I think Eden is a lovely name. Until I went to college, I was Betsy, so I got "Betsy Wetsy" and "Hey Betsy Ross, sew me a flag". That was fun. May I ask, Marriott like the hotels? Or just coincidence? Because I've always thought Marriott Kennedy makes you sound like American Royalty :)
Eden's a great name. And you're in good company - John Cale's daughter is named Eden...for a little rock legend trivia.
I can only call you M. Kennedy which translates in my mind as Madame Kennedy.
Nooooo. Faulty mind translation! Amend it before you go to France or read Proust! M. is the French equivalent of Mr., it's the abbreviation of "monsieur." Mme is "madame," and the very awkward Mlle is "mademoiselle."
Thanks for highlighting the auction! And of course, for donating one of your must-have shirts.
An old friend of mine had a maiden name of Dennedy. Her married name? Kennedy. Personally, I think she should've hyphenated.
My aunt's middle name is Eden, and I've always thought it was a lovely name.
Sheryl always gets misspelled, but it was ok because everyone (well just about everyone) could spell Johnson.
Then I got married...
Stubblefield...
need I say more?
Any reminder of Jackie suggests poise and sophistication. And the incongruous marital honorific suggested the need for a slight formality to avoid the repetition of flattering but unfortunate confusions.
No, I don't think you can do better than "Mrs. Kennedy" for an internet handle.
After a quick perusal, it seems obvious that babble is run by the Nerve folks. (Good for them for using all that erotic energy for making babies.) Not so sure I want to constantly be making that connection between naughty and nice though.
I always figured it was some sort of gender-bending deal. Monsieur Kennedy. I don't know, I'm usually drunk.
Rpp, it may console you to know that one of my husband's co-workers was fired for making a "crack of dawn" comment. And I love the name Eden and Marriott - beats the hell out of "Johnette," which is my middle name. Some names just cannot be feminized with the addition of an "ette."
You have a fabulous name. I'll always think of you as "Mrs. Kennedy" at least a little bit.
In fact, my silly blogger handle is a bit of an homage to you (and a change of scene from plain old Sarah).
Eden manages to be both a beautiful and badass name, which from all I read seems to suit you. Glad you're embracing it.
I'm sticking to "Mrs. Kennedy", dammit. It's got a retro flair.
But before you were married, weren't you asked "are you one of THE Marriotts?" Because that was the first thing that popped into my head. "Gee, she doesn't write like she's a [redundancy alert!]Republican Mormon!"
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