A rose is a rose...
When I finished my degree in education, the first thing I did was substitute, a thankless and sometimes terrifying job. I knew that not knowing the students’ names would put me at a disadvantage. So I made it a kind of game and learned all their names in the first five minutes. Then I told them that they could learn mine if I learned all their names. We started the day feeling like we knew each other, they were impressed, had a little fun and knew who was in charge for the day because we knew each other's names.
I learned their names by focusing on their face and connecting their name with some feature of theirs. However, when it comes to people I meet in my daily life, I will remember everything they told me, except their name. I think my mind focuses on getting a sense or vibe of the person instead of what they are called. This sense or vibe is what I remember.
I have realized that I do this when reading as well. I skim names. I focus on who they are, not what they are called. This could be why I had to look back when reading things like Lord of the Rings to see which name fit whom. I am awed by Tolkien’s writings, language knowledge, and intellect. I wonder if he struggled with the focus on what someone is called versus who they are?
I think Shakespeare did, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” It matters not what we are called. It matters WHO we are. Yet our hearts notice when someone speaks our name, especially those dear to us. Being called by our name is powerful, like when I substituted kids that were as big as I was, it helps us know we are serious, invested. Is this the power of the word that is what we are called, or simply that someone called to personally?