When I was in grade school I did a speech project on Shakespeare’s adage “A rose by any other name…” from Romeo and Juliette. I was a young romantic teen who was all into roses and romance and goo-goo-eyed gossip and summer crushes. Why wouldn’t I write about such a phrase if, in fact, we had to study Shakespeare? But that was a long time ago. Now I realize that Shakespeare was right. Sort of.

I suppose the point of Shakespeare’s monologue was to imply that it doesn’t matter what things are called, it matters what they are. Roses would smell just as sweet if they were called bluebells or snickerdoodles. Although snickerdoodles have their own sweeet aroma, don’t they? So here lies the muse. Are names important?

I’d like to think that we chose our children’s names based on research and good intentions. And we did. We talked about how they flowed and looked up their meanings and origins. I think most parents do. There is significance to who you were named after, your legacy, your family tree, etc. etc. Do you agree?

I suspect marketers and logo experts debate about what to name their products. Maybe not. I’ve heard many a story of music groups randomly picking names that seemed to stick. The Beatles? Really? Wham? Hootie and the Blowfish? Do they smell as sweet? Yeah, I guess.

I guess I was thinking about this these past few weeks as I was dreaming about our new place. The hubby says it’s not a “farm”… but it has a barn and a coop and so it must be a farm, right? Either way, a good property needs a name, right? I heard from the neighbours that most of the neighbouring farms were once owned by The Tinney family. The other half were from Linton’s. Dairy farmers. The name “Linton” seems to have it’s roots in the classic novel “Wuthering Heights” … which unlike Shakespeare, I did not read. Still, like most classics, there is a villian and a love interest and yadayada.

Why am I saying all this? Well. Names are important. They link you to your past. They connect you as a character in a story. They leave you a legacy to follow or one to create. Proverbs tells us that a good name is greater than silver or gold. What it means is that your character is connected to what people call you. Just think of all the names we have for God. Each describes a bit of His charcter. And that character helps us hold Him (and us!) in a good standing compared to others. Do you see it?

Anyway… my brain is kinda wandering around in this subject. Perhaps my thoughts are not as clear as I’d like them to be. Bottom line: names are important. But character is more important. And your name links you to your character and it’s legacy. Which is most important. So our new farm needs a name.

The Linton’s of Wuthering Heights lived in the Moors. Mitton Moors? Not really a moor. Not really a meadow either. Money pit? Maybe. Retirement Acres? Chicken’s paradise? Let me know your thoughts. I’m curious.