Your Name Here

Julia

Elizabeth 

Maron

What does "Julia" mean? Where does it originate? 

Julia is of Latin origins, meaning "youthful." In old times in ancient Rome, it was given to the women in the house of Julius Caesar. It is also (according to nameberry.com) Shakespearean, Dickensian, Orwellian, and Harry Potter-related. There is also a butterfly called the Julia butterfly, which I have seen before. Basically, it's the best name ever. Some names that my mom liked at the time I was born were Emma, Evie, and Sophie. But my dad didn't like any name that sounded like it was shortened ie: Sophie from Sophia. My parents didn't want my sister and I's first names to be family names. They reserved those for our middle names. Elizabeth was my father's mother's middle name. Jeanette, my sister's middle name, was my mother's mother's name. In 1997, when I was born, Julia had a popularity rank of #37.

I love my name. In my 17 years of life, I have only met a handful of people with the same name. Two of them were in my classes in middle school, which is insane because up until that point, I had never encountered anyone with the same name as me. As for the meaning, "youthful," I guess I would agree. It isn't a serious descriptor, though. I think everyone is different, so a meaning for a name that a lot of people have doesn't necessarily describe them. I like how relatively unique Julia is though. The only thing you can shorten it to is Jules, which is a nickname that some people have given me. I think my dad was the first one to use that. Love that nickname. I've also gotten Hulia (or, more correctly, Hoolia, thanks to my friends at the Y), since in Spanish the "J" is pronounced like an "H." That one's cool, too. But I don't consistently get called by those names, which is, to me, a good thing.

Anna Quindlen's remarks about there being "two" of someone is similar to what Beowulf may go through. Everyone has an external and internal part to them. What we see isn't always what we get. In society today, I think younger people especially struggle with which "face" they should put on. At school, I may be Julia Maron. But when I go to work with my kids at the YMCA after school program, I may be Hoolia Maron. Sometimes, I, or anyone really, may act differently at school than outside of school. The same goes for a lot of people. All kids hear when they are growing up is to "be yourself," "be an individual" and "don't be a follower, be a leader." This is the dilemma. Do you really have a choice of who you are, whether an individual or a part of a group? Or are you forced to be someone at school and someone else alone outside of school? For instance, when a woman gets married, it's traditional for her to change her last name and take her husband's name. This stemmed from early times, when it signified that the woman is now under her husband, a part of him. More recently though, many women choose to keep their own last name, hyphenate it with their husband's, or just have two last names. This shows that the women want to be more individual rather than part of a whole.

We should all strive to be individuals. You have your own name, your own personality. You are you and no one else. Don't worry about whether you fit in to a group or category or clique. You don't need a label. BeYOUtiful.

Fear, "Other," or Strong Woman?

Wing Young Huie University Avenue Project (2007-2010) 

From Wing Young Huie's album University Avenue Project (2007-2010),

accessed 9.6.14

In society today, it is so common to see a single mother with a young child out and about. It's hard to not think about what their family situation is like at home, whether the father is present or if she got pregnant and he left before the child was born. Then we compare that woman and her child to our lives, to our family, and whether we can relate or not. In this picture, a relatively young woman sits on a couch with a baby girl, holding a sign. The sign reads "Never let your fears determine your decision." 

In this case, comparatively, the woman would not be considered an "other" in Gileadean society because of the fact that she had a child. She would be seen as a contributing factor, furthering the population. The sign is important, stating the idea that fears, whatever they may be, can't determine what you do in life. Offred could be compared (except minus the child) to the woman in the picture. In "The Handmaid's Tale," all of the Handmaids are conservative, doing specifically what they are told to do. Initially, Offred fears breaking the rules because being caught would result in large consequences. Language is used to specifically describe her fears, through flashbacks to Moira escaping and being beaten, to seeing the dead people hanging on the wall, as well as people being taken away by the Eyes. But throughout the book, with the help of the Commander and others, she overcomes her fears of being caught in a relationship or at Jezebel's or talking about Mayday. Her decisions then become more focused on what she wants (freedom to do as she pleases) and less on her fears of being caught. 

Everyone fears something. Could be snakes, flying, losing someone, or not knowing where your next meal is coming from. But if your fears are so strong that they skew your decision-making, then it's time to reevaluate your fears. See if you can do something that will change them.

This woman is brave. Taking care of a child, whether completely on her own or not, can be tough. (Not that I  would specifically know, though, since I don't have a child of my own.) Someone may see this woman and think that she's probably looking for money, to be helped out with getting things for her baby. They may think she's an "other" because she's not wearing the best of clothes. But one thing she doesn't seem to have is fear. That's one thing that she DOESN'T have that some people do have. Way to go, girl.