Photo by Warren Talbot
A few nights ago we watched Into the Wild, the true story of Christopher MacCandless and his unconventional life and tragic end.
He’s quite a character, and early on in his adventure he burned his IDs and started calling himself Alexander Supertramp. The name seemed to fit far more than the one he was given, and it made me think.
Does a new lifestyle deserve a new name?
Like most people, I think of my life in phases. Mine has had 4 so far: childhood, first marriage, post-divorce singledom, and my marriage to Warren. My cumulative personality is based on the experiences in those 4 phases, and if you asked me to give them each a name I could (Betsy, Bets, Bohemia, Liz). You probably could, too. We could have a terrific conversation about things we learned in our various phases and what pieces stuck with us into the next one. (How I wish we could all get together in a room sometime!)
As we get ready to embark on this new adventure, I wonder what this phase should be named. I jokingly told someone in book club a couple of months ago that my stage name was Lola, and she has continued to call me that name ever since. While I laugh at it, it really isn’t far from the truth.
The woman who is embarking on this trip is a far cry from the girl who was afraid to get on a plane or drive on an interstate. The name “Betsy” implies a sweet, next-door-neighbor kinda gal, and that really isn’t accurate either.
I’m not actually going to change my name, but I do wonder what this latest phase in my life should be called. Bette has a nice ring to it – a little more cosmopolitan and bold, which is what I wish to be.
If you could rename yourself based on your current adventure, what would it be and why? Let me know in the comments.
About Betsy
I’m so curious about the Liz name for this phase of your life and why you feel that is more appropriate. We should have a Naming Nosh and all discuss the names from those phases and why we have them.
My life can be chunked out into separate phases as well and I often think about the person I was in those phases and what that means. But the funny thing is, I totally realize that I would never have been the current “me” without those phases, no matter what parts of them I might regret.
Such an interesting question….thanks Betsy. Bette would be perfect for this next chapter, BTW!
Hi, Maria. I think names are a very personal thing and mean different things to different people. Liz to me is more daring than Betsy, and that is definitely how I feel at this stage. When I told Warren that I thought “Bette” was my name for the trip he didn’t think it was cosmopolitan at all!
Anyway, the name doesn’t have to mean anything to anybody but the person using it. I’d love to chat with you about this sometime.
Your point about all the phases shaping your current personality is spot on. I am still made up of all those versions of me. And that’s what I think is so cool – I can pinpoint certain characteristics and actions and know where they came from. And now I just wonder what kind of gifts the next phase will bring.
Bring it on, Bette!
Great food for thought.
My girlfriend from college visited last weekend and we were talking about how comforting old friends are because they’ve seen all your stages so they can see the current you in the context of your life journey.
I enjoy a mix of old and new friends for what they each bring.
That’s an good point, Angela. I love seeing how my friends have charged through adversity or made the most of opportunity and good fortune over the years. I connected with an old friend recently whose life is off-the-charts good now after years of hardship, and only those who have known her for a long time can appreciate the transformation and how grateful she is for it.