What's in a name?

You've heard your parents say live up to your name. How true it is.

As I sit here and wait for Hurricane Earl's visit, it has come to my attention that how you name things often reflects the outcome. Yes,I'm taking names.

Writing my stories, I pick a name for my hero, heroine, or villain dependent on the characteristics I want them to portray. I wouldn't have an nonredeemable villain with a hero's name or visa versa. Example you say? Ok, Few bad guys are named Robert. Now, I'm not talking Bobby, but the strength of the name Robert brings to my mind someone strong. Bobby might be easily swayed like a child. A villain's name might be Rafe, Leon, or Jack. Yes, to many this is conjecture and I certainly don't mean to say anyone with that name is a villain. Perhaps its just that they aren't my favorite names. So how does this bring us back to the Hurricane named EARL.

Living in southeast Virginia, I've experienced hurricanes for nearly 54 years. In doing so, I've noticed that the storms with the "odd man out" names are usually the worst. Perhaps, we tick them off with their moniker. In the sixties, we had horrid storms like Betsy, Donna, Ion, and the drama queen herself, Camille. When the weather service included male names instead of just girls ( which was started when one bright guy named a hurricane after his girl friend. Yeah you wonder if they got married. ) We include in this list Hugo, Andrew, Felix.

So in conclusion, if they'd name storms Bambi or Candy perhaps it would have been charming or gentleman. Ah, but then, my theory would be blown and what fun is that. So here's to my friends on the East coast, I raise a cup of tea to you and wish you safe harbor in the coming days. I hope to have more after the passage of Earl.