Friday, January 11, 2008

what's in a name?

Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Cami.

That's actually a lie.

My name is not Cami.

No, Cami's blog hasn't been taken over by some crazed lunatic blog taker over-er...

It's still me... Cami Kaos.

I'm Cami, there's no doubt about that... Since the day I was born, maybe even before that, I've been called Cami. If you had a peek at my birth certificate though you would see that my name is like no other. At least I've never met anyone with my same first name.

I set out a great campaign to get friends and family members to call me by my proper name for about a year. Then I added a vowel. ADDED ONE. I tried to get people to call me that. It didn't take (which I am glad of because I really like being Cami. I think it strangely suits me).

Very few people ever use my first name. It is not ugly or necessarily unwieldy. Actually it's a lovely name, I think.


But still the number of people who use it?

Very few.

So few in fact that my own mother and father do not rank in the number of people who use my full first name.

MY MOM AND DAD... you know, the folks who named me.

The tale goes that they chose my name because they wanted to be able to call me Cami but they didn't think it was a proper full name so they sought out a name that "Cami" could be short for.

I would imagine they exhausted all the traditional possibilities... Not that I can think of more than a few... Can you?

Camilla
Camelia
Cameron

I'm sure there are more?

What's in a name? Would I be the same person if they'd named me Camdyn instead? Even if they still called me Cami?

What is all the existential name bull crap?

Nothing... I'm just thinking about a secret involving my name...

okay, it doesn't really have anything to do with my name... that is unless I was really egocentric...

which I am.

28 comments:

mielikki said...

I always really liked your whole first name, too, but all I ever really heard was people calling you Cami. If you really wanted me to, I would call you by your whole name. GG does, upon occasion.
And, I think I know the secret to your first name. . .
maybe.

Anonymous said...

I think Camel is a lovely name.

Lisa Wheeler Milton said...

Ok, Cami Kaos, I've read this a couple of times and I'm dying to know: tell us, what's your name?

Or did I miss it?

Lia Hollander said...

Is it:

Cami Sol?

When people learn my first name, they often say, "Is that it? Is it short for something?" and they make me feel all inadequate. :)

CamiKaos said...

Missburrows: Yes, you have found my secret. I am a sexy little ladies undergarment. :) I like you.

Lisa: Didn't miss it.

Dan: Camel. Like the big humped animal?

Mie: She does use it on occasion.

NanaKaos said...

The story behind your full name is as beautiful as you are. We have a picture of that event. We gave you one didn't we? We named you Cami because we loved the name Cami, but we love your full name too. It has a lot of meaning to us. NanaKaos
PS new furniture just arrived. Yeah!!!

Travis Erwin said...

So are you going to reveal the name and secret at some point or just keep us all in suspense?

DaddyKaos said...

I only used it when I got pissed.

CamiKaos said...

Daddy: yep... The whole thing

Travis: I am just waiting on confirmation to spill the secret. I am so excited... And I think I will wait for a podcast to share my name... It's easily mispronounced.

Mom: I love that story. You're great you know that.

Everyone: my mom is great

Lia Hollander said...

Yeah for moms!

mielikki said...

Sometimes it great to be family. I knew your Mom is great already, AND I know the name, and the story... so I don't have to wait. But I'm not telling.
neener neener neener.
:)

Bubblewench said...

OMG this is an awseome post for you! I could totally spill cause I know but I'll just sit in the wings excited for you to tell.. hee..hee.. very fun!

Anonymous said...

I think I know....

Justin

CamiKaos said...

justin: my real first name? I'm sure you do, at least you certainly should...

BW: thnx babe

Mie: teehee.

holly said...

i would love you no matter what you were called.

it's not camishaft is it?

my husband's guess is camilope. i said 'don't be a dufus.' i'll feel real silly if that's it.

queen's guess is camicamifofami. so i sent her to bed early for rudeness.

the thrower's only real word is "ayuu-uh". i sent *him* to bed until he learns to say words.

now it's just me here. niiiice.

Marcus said...

I have feint memories from long ago when some friends around me were using the full first name and middle name combo. Always loved your first/middle name combo.

julie said...

I already know what it is, but I can't remember how... Hmm.

I know someone with the same name except with a K and an added vowel (I).

sybil law said...

How about Camfastic? Camilicious? CamIam?
Yeah - I know it, too.
It is wonderful.
So are the folks.
xo

CamiKaos said...

Sybil: Camlam.... really?

Julie: I think I know why you know... but I'm not telling. haha

Marc: Didn't you try that too?

Holly: When I read your comment I was in line at the grocery store with Mr. Kaos. I shouldn't have been, but I was checking my email at the grocers... I laughed so hard I almost fell over... I've now been banned from reading my email in stores.

haha

TV said...

It's Cambodia, isn't it. And Cami is a lovely nickname. Much better than Bodia would have been, anyway.

Kathy's Surprise Party said...

TRYING TO DIAL YOU... DIAL ME.

Bellevelma said...

Easily mispronounced? Is it Hermione then? Or, perhaps it's Rumplestiltskin... Writing this from my new lap top BTW and TYVM. Not a mac but it will do for now ;)

CamiKaos said...

bv: Cermoine? Camelstiltskin? Hooray for the new laptop!!! Do you feel liberated?

KAMI: I WENT TO SLEEP EARLY. REALLY EARLY I WAS SHAGGED. YOU CAN CALL ME NOW. OR I WILL CALL YOU IN 30 MINUTES

Me: They tried to call me bodia for a few years when I got tits in highschool... okay. no they didn't...

sybil law said...

Cami got shagged!
Haha

Gunfighter said...

Well... whatever your name is, it has to beat the hell out of having a first AND last name like mine, which are both among the top 5 most common names in the United States.

When I was in the Marines, there were four other guys in my battalion that had the same first and last name as me... and we were all Lance Corporals.

david mcmahon said...

O-KAY, I'm racking my brain here ....

Jo Beaufoix said...

Hmmm. Is it Nicam, or Digicam, or camikazee, or camilfried, or camicamicamicamicamicameelion,

or Bob.

I bet it's Bob.

AngelConradie said...

so um, why didn't they just call you cami? did they make something up... i ask coz thats very popular in south africa, making a name up. especially combining syllables of several family names... makes for some hectic confusion and spelling battles!