Ever wonder why I call myself "Violetlady"? Well, I guess it is pretty simple -- the violet is my favorite flower. It was also my mother's favorite. My grandmother wore violet cologne and had a perfume bottle with handpainted violets on it (which I still have).
I should have some sort of identity crisis. I was born as Meryl Kristina. Meryl because it was my mother's nickname (her real name was Mabel which my father and she disliked so he nicknamed her Meryl when he met her - just as bad I thought). It wasn't until Meryl Streep came along that I thought Meryl wasn't such a bad name. In elementary school there was this annoying kid who called me "Myrtle the Turtle. " I don't know why except maybe it was appropriate. I seldom do anything in a hurry. Anyway - back to my name. Kristina because Mom liked the name and told me there was a Queen Kristina of Norway (not that we are Norwegian!).
The problem was in school. The school rolls always listed me as Meryl, of course, my first name. I was shy and I would finally get the courage to pipe up with "Please call me Tina." This was in elementary school. As if "Myrtle the Turtle" wasn't bad enough. It wasn't until high school that the teachers got a little nasty. "Oh, "Meryl Call Me Tina" -- is that what you want to be called?" one would snidely say. I wanted to crawl under my desk. So I graduated anyway, more or less intact mentally.
My family and friends called me Tina until I decided (when I was in my 20's) that I preferred Kris or Kristina, but even then it was rather sporadic. Now whenever I call an old friend I have to remember which name they know me by.
Jeez, what a complicated life I live.
