Post by Richard on May 11, 2007 16:49:41 GMT
This post has been moved from the Crystal Cathedral thread.
Thank you for your kind words. i have to give my dear mother all the credit. because she wanted me to have an unusual name.. The name Geralynn is actually derived from St. Gerard, the Patron Saint of expectant mothers.
Geralynn
I love the sentiment, Geralynn. Had I married (subject to my partner's views of course) I would have wanted my children to have 'interesting' names which I would probably have taken from Shakespeare. I was stuck with the very uninspiring 'Peter John' and my sister 'Gillian Mary'. How banal can you get?
On the other hand, does the 'weight' of a name bear down on the holder making him feel inadequate for all his life, or does it inspire him to reach up to be worthy of it?
Who would name a child 'Isambard Kingdom'? But Brunel was all his name suggested--and was small of stature to boot.
One of the many great stories about him that I love is the time he built a viaduct in France where the townspeople (who wanted the railway visiting their town and were paying for the diversion) said the land was too waterlogged and would fall down. It did. At the subsequent meeting, when Brunel said he would rebuild it, the town told him they couldn't afford it, to which Brunel replied. 'I am Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I told you I would build a viaduct and a viaduct is what I will build. I shall knock down the present one and build a new one entirely at my own expense.' He did. A hundred or so years later that same viaduct still carries the main line south across France.
If members will allow me a colloquialism, that's one hell of a name and one hell of a man.
As an aside in passing, I wonder if 'Gerard' is the derivation of Gerald, the name of Hayley's father?
Peter S.
postscript said:
geralynnk said:
Hi Graeme,Thank you for your kind words. i have to give my dear mother all the credit. because she wanted me to have an unusual name.. The name Geralynn is actually derived from St. Gerard, the Patron Saint of expectant mothers.
Geralynn
I love the sentiment, Geralynn. Had I married (subject to my partner's views of course) I would have wanted my children to have 'interesting' names which I would probably have taken from Shakespeare. I was stuck with the very uninspiring 'Peter John' and my sister 'Gillian Mary'. How banal can you get?
On the other hand, does the 'weight' of a name bear down on the holder making him feel inadequate for all his life, or does it inspire him to reach up to be worthy of it?
Who would name a child 'Isambard Kingdom'? But Brunel was all his name suggested--and was small of stature to boot.
One of the many great stories about him that I love is the time he built a viaduct in France where the townspeople (who wanted the railway visiting their town and were paying for the diversion) said the land was too waterlogged and would fall down. It did. At the subsequent meeting, when Brunel said he would rebuild it, the town told him they couldn't afford it, to which Brunel replied. 'I am Isambard Kingdom Brunel. I told you I would build a viaduct and a viaduct is what I will build. I shall knock down the present one and build a new one entirely at my own expense.' He did. A hundred or so years later that same viaduct still carries the main line south across France.
If members will allow me a colloquialism, that's one hell of a name and one hell of a man.
As an aside in passing, I wonder if 'Gerard' is the derivation of Gerald, the name of Hayley's father?
Peter S.
