I have heard of other guys named Kenya though but have never met one. Also, sometimes I am automatically assumed to be male by my name so there must be more guys around with our name.

I have heard of other guys named Kenya though but have never met one. Also, sometimes I am automatically assumed to be male by my name so there must be more guys around with our name.

you’re so open and funny in your writing, it’s wonderful. you and i went through completely different experiences with our names, but several things you mentioned hit home for me.

I never thought of my name origin as being cool at all. it’s still mundane to me other than my mom is 75 now and still the most giving soul i’ve ever known. her and my dad fought and divorced so that’s part of the banality.

This paragraph you wrote is what it’s all about to me. it’s human and beautiful:
“Some people seem disappointed that I don’t have an intriguing story about my name. It’s really simple: My father’s name is Kenneth and the name came to my mother as she was flipping through a magazine. She thought that it was the perfect name. There’s no story other than that – no safaris, no international intrigue – although I’ve thought that maybe I’ll make up a story (something about a Kenyan that went to Harvard) just to mess with folks. My mother grew up on a farm in Virginia and has only been out of the country once when I took her to the Bahamas for her birthday last year. At the same time, that doesn’t mean she is in anyway ignorant. She is a lover of art and literature but I digress …”

And that is just…love.

Anyway, Kenya’s pretty much a girl’s name today. it was ALWAYS a girls name when i was a kid which was wonderfully sadistic for the older kids.

I didn’t really like my name until the girls started noticing me and the girls always loved my name. That’s when I realized I have an ‘cool’ name.

one thing that’s always been slightly, very slightly bothersome, even today in my 40′s, is when i get looked at sideways by certain folks after introducing myself. they almost never ask how i got my name or even if it’s my nickname…like neither answer will interest them.

You’re fun to read. It’s easy to see the goodness in your soul. Also your career – computer forensic investigator, and the many oher things you do tells me you’re just getting started man.

you’re young enough to be my daughter and i’m a very happily married man with a 12 year old girl and a 10 year old boy…so i feel comfortable telling you that i just noticed another coincidence which blows my mind, but little things are all drama for me as i get older:
our dad’s had the same name. my dad’s middle name is the same name as your home town…just spelled differently. i went to college back east like you (well that’s not such a big ting) but is that stuf cool or what man? to me only? …as i’m suddenly feeling

oh well, c’est le vie Kenya, oui?

Thank you my friend for opening up with your writing because it opened me up.

Warm Regards,
kenya

kenyas last blog post..Lily Tenue (8)

you’re so open and funny in your writing, it’s wonderful. you and i went through completely different experiences with our names, but several things you mentioned hit home for me.

I never thought of my name origin as being cool at all. it’s still mundane to me other than my mom is 75 now and still the most giving soul i’ve ever known. her and my dad fought and divorced so that’s part of the banality.

This paragraph you wrote is what it’s all about to me. it’s human and beautiful:
“Some people seem disappointed that I don’t have an intriguing story about my name. It’s really simple: My father’s name is Kenneth and the name came to my mother as she was flipping through a magazine. She thought that it was the perfect name. There’s no story other than that – no safaris, no international intrigue – although I’ve thought that maybe I’ll make up a story (something about a Kenyan that went to Harvard) just to mess with folks. My mother grew up on a farm in Virginia and has only been out of the country once when I took her to the Bahamas for her birthday last year. At the same time, that doesn’t mean she is in anyway ignorant. She is a lover of art and literature but I digress …”

And that is just…love.

Anyway, Kenya’s pretty much a girl’s name today. it was ALWAYS a girls name when i was a kid which was wonderfully sadistic for the older kids.

I didn’t really like my name until the girls started noticing me and the girls always loved my name. That’s when I realized I have an ‘cool’ name.

one thing that’s always been slightly, very slightly bothersome, even today in my 40′s, is when i get looked at sideways by certain folks after introducing myself. they almost never ask how i got my name or even if it’s my nickname…like neither answer will interest them.

You’re fun to read. It’s easy to see the goodness in your soul. Also your career – computer forensic investigator, and the many oher things you do tells me you’re just getting started man.

you’re young enough to be my daughter and i’m a very happily married man with a 12 year old girl and a 10 year old boy…so i feel comfortable telling you that i just noticed another coincidence which blows my mind, but little things are all drama for me as i get older:
our dad’s had the same name. my dad’s middle name is the same name as your home town…just spelled differently. i went to college back east like you (well that’s not such a big ting) but is that stuf cool or what man? to me only? …as i’m suddenly feeling

oh well, c’est le vie Kenya, oui?

Thank you my friend for opening up with your writing because it opened me up.

Warm Regards,
kenya

kenyas last blog post..Lily Tenue (8)

One of my goals for this year is to look more into my ancestry. I would not doubt that there have been instances where cultures that have been adopted by descendants of African slaves were actual enemies of their ancestors. Only recently has DNA testing been available that can match us to particular tribes but many are finding that they are more related to the British slave owners.

I always appreciate you stopping by, Roy.

One of my goals for this year is to look more into my ancestry. I would not doubt that there have been instances where cultures that have been adopted by descendants of African slaves were actual enemies of their ancestors. Only recently has DNA testing been available that can match us to particular tribes but many are finding that they are more related to the British slave owners.

I always appreciate you stopping by, Roy.

I never gave it any thought that your name is Kenya. Deep down, I think that no one is really happy with their name. After all, we hear it all of our lives. We heard it as a positive thing, and how many millions of times have our parents used it as a warning, or andomishment.

Especially parents that use the full name. Roy Vincent Allmond! It warms the cockles of by heart when I hear the news say something like “Robert William Smith was executed at 12:08 a.m.” When I know full well that until they were arrested, they were known as something like “Booger Bob.”

Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

Most people have been named by some reason. Once it is explained, it makes sence. For instance, It is my understanding, that in some cultures Mohammad is used to hame the first born. Which explains why there are so many people with the name.

Others are named after a relative, in one of the families tree. One extreme would be seen in The Dick Van Dyke show that explains why little Ritchie (that was the sons name … right?) middle name was ROSEBUD.

So, it is only natural that people would attempt to show in interest in learning something about you, and ask about your name.

At least your name is not Peek-a-boo. Like the Olympic skier.

In reality, any name is fine, and most people do not change their name. Although, I heard of several stories involving changing names. One involved a gay rights political activist, that changed his name to “I am a sissy fag,” and another person that changed their name once they became 18, they ran down to the courthouse and before the high school yearbook was printed, changed their name to “man gone trout fishing.” We all know about the story of “the artest formally known as Prince.”

I think that Kenya is a nice name. At least it is not as common as Roy. I get called Roy Clark, Roy Rogers, and some people have asked me how Ziegfeld is doing, or if they can see my scars from the tiger attack?

As far as last names go. I too, share the same last name and I explain to people that my name is like the nut but with two L’s because I have not have had the L shaken out of me.

In case you did not catch the joke, there is a saying (mnemonic) of how to pronounce almond’s (with the L pronounced) on a tree and almond’s (with the L silent) on the ground. If you had ever seen almond’s harvested, it is a sight to see. A big truck with a boom attaches to the truck of the almond tree. Then the boom starts to vibrate and thousands of almonds rain down. So, it is a play on words that “the L shaken is shaken out of the almond.”

A little family history. Apparently, I have ancestors on my paternal side of the family, that were slave owners. (oh God, I hope they were Thomas Jefferson who wanted the slaves freed) Up until Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves, slaves were not given family names. Thus when they were freed, they were given a name. The most pervasive practice was to give them the slave owners family name.

I would have a problem of honoring a slave masters family name, especially if they were cruel. On the other hand, it could also work the other way too. By being a living testiment that ones, family history involved being enslaved by the British, and sold to the colonists. Do not get me started about that subject.

I remember reading “Tar Baby,” and one character in the book had elected to obtain the family name from the Bible. After all, everything in the Bible is good. Seemed logical. The person was (if I remember correctly) illerate and just open the good book, and pointed at a word, and another person read it. It turned out to be Death. Thus his family was known as the Death family. It has been … God … a few decades since I read it. So my memory of the whole story line is fuzzy. I should reread the book, I remembered liking it. I like to reread books, because after a while, they are new to me.

I understand the logic of parents giving their kids a unique name that somehow sounds like it comes from the continent (it is not a country, geez) of Africa. Hopefully your ancestry is at least rooted from Kenya. It would be almost comical, if your name was the name of the country that was your ancestors mortal enemy.

There is fear in my heart, that if it is true, as some people claim, that racism is as bad as it was in the 50′s (which I feel is either a reflection of how racist they are themselves, or another example of history not being taught very well in school). Then my giving names that do not sound “normal” or “American” then the parents are practically painting targets on their kids.

At least not as bad, as I have often said that if I ever had any children, and the name I would give the first two girls would be Blanche, and Joy. )

I never gave it any thought that your name is Kenya. Deep down, I think that no one is really happy with their name. After all, we hear it all of our lives. We heard it as a positive thing, and how many millions of times have our parents used it as a warning, or andomishment.

Especially parents that use the full name. Roy Vincent Allmond! It warms the cockles of by heart when I hear the news say something like “Robert William Smith was executed at 12:08 a.m.” When I know full well that until they were arrested, they were known as something like “Booger Bob.”

Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

Most people have been named by some reason. Once it is explained, it makes sence. For instance, It is my understanding, that in some cultures Mohammad is used to hame the first born. Which explains why there are so many people with the name.

Others are named after a relative, in one of the families tree. One extreme would be seen in The Dick Van Dyke show that explains why little Ritchie (that was the sons name … right?) middle name was ROSEBUD.

So, it is only natural that people would attempt to show in interest in learning something about you, and ask about your name.

At least your name is not Peek-a-boo. Like the Olympic skier.

In reality, any name is fine, and most people do not change their name. Although, I heard of several stories involving changing names. One involved a gay rights political activist, that changed his name to “I am a sissy fag,” and another person that changed their name once they became 18, they ran down to the courthouse and before the high school yearbook was printed, changed their name to “man gone trout fishing.” We all know about the story of “the artest formally known as Prince.”

I think that Kenya is a nice name. At least it is not as common as Roy. I get called Roy Clark, Roy Rogers, and some people have asked me how Ziegfeld is doing, or if they can see my scars from the tiger attack?

As far as last names go. I too, share the same last name and I explain to people that my name is like the nut but with two L’s because I have not have had the L shaken out of me.

In case you did not catch the joke, there is a saying (mnemonic) of how to pronounce almond’s (with the L pronounced) on a tree and almond’s (with the L silent) on the ground. If you had ever seen almond’s harvested, it is a sight to see. A big truck with a boom attaches to the truck of the almond tree. Then the boom starts to vibrate and thousands of almonds rain down. So, it is a play on words that “the L shaken is shaken out of the almond.”

A little family history. Apparently, I have ancestors on my paternal side of the family, that were slave owners. (oh God, I hope they were Thomas Jefferson who wanted the slaves freed) Up until Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves, slaves were not given family names. Thus when they were freed, they were given a name. The most pervasive practice was to give them the slave owners family name.

I would have a problem of honoring a slave masters family name, especially if they were cruel. On the other hand, it could also work the other way too. By being a living testiment that ones, family history involved being enslaved by the British, and sold to the colonists. Do not get me started about that subject.

I remember reading “Tar Baby,” and one character in the book had elected to obtain the family name from the Bible. After all, everything in the Bible is good. Seemed logical. The person was (if I remember correctly) illerate and just open the good book, and pointed at a word, and another person read it. It turned out to be Death. Thus his family was known as the Death family. It has been … God … a few decades since I read it. So my memory of the whole story line is fuzzy. I should reread the book, I remembered liking it. I like to reread books, because after a while, they are new to me.

I understand the logic of parents giving their kids a unique name that somehow sounds like it comes from the continent (it is not a country, geez) of Africa. Hopefully your ancestry is at least rooted from Kenya. It would be almost comical, if your name was the name of the country that was your ancestors mortal enemy.

There is fear in my heart, that if it is true, as some people claim, that racism is as bad as it was in the 50′s (which I feel is either a reflection of how racist they are themselves, or another example of history not being taught very well in school). Then my giving names that do not sound “normal” or “American” then the parents are practically painting targets on their kids.

At least not as bad, as I have often said that if I ever had any children, and the name I would give the first two girls would be Blanche, and Joy. )