'Day-tah, dah-tah... what's the difference?'

This is from one of my favorite exchanges in StarTrek:TNG, a series I used to watch constantly. It's among my favorite dialogue snippets because it expresses something I've tried hard to convey for years. A quick google tells me this is from an episode called "the Child."

PULASKI
Data,
(she says "Data" with
a short A)
look at this.

DATA
(he corrects her)
Data.

PULASKI
What?

DATA
My name. It is pronounced Data.

PULASKI
(with a wry smile)
Oh?

DATA
You called me Data.

PULASKI
What's the difference?

DATA
One is my name and the other is
not.

At birth, my parents dubbed me Anna Susan Quiara Maureen Hazlewood. I grew up called by the name Quiara. One glance shows quickly enough that it's not a particularly common name -- at least it wasn't in Ely, Nevada in the early 80s. I've heard more butcherings of my moniker than there are stars in the sky: "kwee-ra" (She-ra?), "queer-uh," "Keera," "Kwai-rah," and, my least favorite, "key-are-uh." This last one is no doubt the one most people who've only seen my name in print opt for, if they attempt a pronunciation at all. I dislike this version for 2 major reasons: It's in the "close but no cigar" category (much like the day-tah, dah-tah conundrum) and, secondly, after 22 years of wearing the name, I found out it's the more "correct" pronunciation anyway. (Apparently it's a French dialectical form of Clara, for the curious.)

My name, however, isn't pronounced that way. It's said "key-air-ah."

This is why, more than any other reason, I go by "Q." So much easier. Most people hit that pronunciation right off. Plus, my college roommate dubbed me that freshman year and it turns out it was better than what my current roommate, Laura, calls me ("ki-ki"), so I won't complain. Much.

Having had my name mangled for much of my life, I think I grew up with an appreciation for the importance of a proper name. I try my best to pronounce the names of people in the ways they've said them to me. And I'm resolved to become better at remember names. (I've been studying our church directory to put more names with more faces.)

A name is something dumped on a child at birth, assumed that s/he will one day grow into it. A surname, in particular, comes also complete with the traces of things done in that name before the child was ever born. And the things the child will do with his or her name will impact the next generation to wear it as well. Names are important things.

When God called Abram, he changed his name. As he did with Jacob. And he called them all and brought about a new nation all for the sake of his name. We are saved in his name, hated because of his name, things we do "in his name" have eternal consequence. Names are important things.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.



Revelation 2:17