What Is The Story Of Your Name? Personal Narrative Assignment #1, Class #2

Call Me Katherine
by Katherine Walcott

I hate the name I grew up with.

It’s not a dead name or anything that dramatic. It’s a simple nickname. And I hate it.

The name on my birth certificate is Katherine Xxxx Xxxxx. My mother thought that Katherine was pretty as a first name and that it gave my full name a nice rhythm. No family connection whatsoever.

So, my official name is Katherine. Everybody called me Kathy.

Well, no.

That’s the problem.

Not everybody called me Kathy.

My parents each had a personal nickname for me. My mother called me Snooch. My father called me Puss. They only used Kathy when I was being called to the carpet.

I tended – and still do – to small friend groups. No one was trying to get my attention across the floor of a crowded club. We’d be sitting around. If a friend wanted to talk to me, they would turn, look at me, and start speaking.

The last group was teachers. They used my name. As in, “Does anyone other than Kathy have a question.” Or “Kathy, please sit down.”

If I heard “Kathy” I was either in class or in trouble. Or both.

Is it any wonder I didn’t like it?

I have nothing against the name itself. I have friends with the name. They are welcome to it. I just dislike when it is aimed at me.

This would cause backfires with sales reps. You know the type. They are trained to drop Customer Name into every sentence in order to build rapport. Hearty handshake. Direct eye contact. “Come over here, Kathy, and let me tell you about the virtues of this three-handled moss-covered family credenza.” Eeek, no.

I knew it was futile to force a change while I was living where I grew up. Too many folks knew me by that name for too long. Then I got married and moved to a new state. Voila. People who would call me whatever I told them. The new me was born.

My family would slip from time to time. It was only natural. Since I lived out of state, visits were infrequent. The issue didn’t come up often enough to make a case out to of it. A family member would call me Kathy. I’d flinch a bit. I’d smile. I’d go home in a few days.

Most of my communication with my parents was by telephone. One doesn’t need names in a one-on-one phone calls. This was in the pre-Internet era. Just after we stopped banging rocks together to send messages.

I’m less bothered about it than I used to be.

At a recent visit, I noticed that my mother is conscientious when introducing me, “This is my daughter, Katherine.” However, she has a tendency to slip during conversation. “Kathy and I went to lunch.”

Theses days, meh, that’s pretty much the only time it happens. Although I have to admit getting a slight case of the shivers while writing this. I would hear the sentences in my head and think, ‘Yup, still don’t like it.’

I would like to close with props to my husband. He knew me for 8 years as Kathy. We got married. I announced a name change. In 36 years, I don’t think he has slipped once. That’s a love language.

Afterword

Assignment #1 from class. Posted as submitted.

Before Class

Cover letter, my comments to instructor:

I dont know how much author statement is acceptable. Some classes yes, some no.


This kind of writing – expository? descriptive? declamatory? – comes easily to me. The gap between this and telling a story is why I am in this class.


551 words. I tend to write short.

My evaluation, comments to beta reader (waves hi):

I like it. Dont think it is Personal Narrative. Be interesting to see what class says.

Personal, yes. Narrative, not so much. Significant personal transformation, not at all.

Feedback

Beta reader. Tend to. Intended usage: I am inclined to, i.e. I tend to wear casual clothes on most days. Beta reader pointed out, “Tended to as in took care of?” Confusing meanings. Would change.

Class. I not going to give their direct comments, both for privacy & to allow people to speak freely. Instead, my responses to the critiques.

Years ago, folks in a workshop found my writing humorous. I never understood this. If I simply recounted an event, the result was funny. If I made an effort to be funny, nada.

I am comfortable with my writing style. “The head of the department told me that my writing was ‘pedestrian.’ Well, I prefer to think of it as clear and commercially-viable, but thanks for the input.” [Schadenfreude Saturday, My Pain Is Your Amusement]

I have no emotional depth. I know this. I own this. [Thoughts]

“Does anyone other than Kathy have a question.” I became a journalist. People now pay me to ask questions. Perhaps this should not be as much of a surprise as it was. [My Origin Story]

Class posts
[What Is Personal Narrative, Thoughts Before A Class]
[Why I Write, Personal Narrative Class #1]

Onwards!
Katherine

The Trail Goes Ever On, Photography

Awareness of the outside world. WCNC: Mules are being used to carry supplies into western North Carolina. Brierton, October 1, 2024. Bandwidth limitations prevented me from watching the related video. I assume the mules are on there somewhere.

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Trailhead
Dunnavant Valley Greenway
Shelby County Alabama USA
October 2024

Would like to walk this some day, but need a walking partner. The city kid in me is reflexively concerned about stranger danger. Honestly, I should be more concerned about going splat. Either way, buddy system.

Technical Details

DV Trailhead, f/10, 1/100 sec., 18.0 mm, ISO 800. Manual mode & auto-focus. Post production: resized, border, & watermark. No cropping.

Border colors. Gray for project, yellow for Nikon. [Photo Safari The First], [Quarry, Photography, Things]

Added note. While shooting, I was convinced that vertical orientation would be the way to go. Tall trees framing the the path. Even looked good on the back-of-camera previews. Nope. Horizontal for the win. However, this time I took plenty of both.

Onwards!
Katherine

No Lessons Lately

Awareness of the outside world. Vox: What to do — and what to avoid — to help those affected by Hurricane Helene, Volpe, Oct 1, 2024. Bottom line. Don’t go. Don’t send stuff. Give money, carefully.

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Content warning for whining and ennui.

No lessons lately. I lost enthusiasm.

I had a lesson fail. [In Which I Try To Corral The Frogs]

The same week, I wasn’t able to set up another western lesson. [First Western Lesson]

It was all too much.

I got tired of scrabbling for scraps.

Maybe if I get organized and get lucky, I can take my own horse on a quiet walk in his own pasture.

Maybe if I get organized and get lucky, I can have a lesson on a beginner horse.

It’s unbalanced. Too much investment of energy for the size of the return.

I understand that I am complaining about the color of the coasters in a luxury condo. But d*mm*t, I am really want those coasters.

I’ll get over myself eventually.

Onwards!
Katherine

Western Saddle Observations

Awareness of the outside world. WDAA.

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I have now sat on the western saddle four times. I’ve noticed a few things. [Western Ride]

Stirrups. I still dislike that the stirrups don’t sit perpendicular on the sole of my foot. [First Western Lesson]

Seat. So much leather. I can neither feel nor talk to the horse. OTOH, given a horse with back issues this might be a feature rather than a bug.

Girth. Comes with a buckle on each end. However, the girth attaches with the buckle on one side and with a tie strap on the other. The frame of the buckle is used to attached the strap on that side. The prong of the buckle has nowhere to go. It just kinda sticks out. My inner Pony Clubber is deeply perturbed by this.

Wait, what? [The Mystery Project Is … drumroll …]

Onwards!
Katherine

Second Walk Considerations, Morning Walk Stories

Awareness of the outside world. Mobile phone PSA. After my phone had a mandatory upgrade, I found my battery not lasting as long. I went thru the settings found all manner of automatic contacts with the mothership. For My Convenience. Rooted them out & turned them off. Voila, better battery life. I had done this already. The PSA is to do it again after an upgrade.

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I used to take walks in the afternoon or evening. [Places and Parks, August Walks II]

I stopped when we started doing a mile with the horses first thing in the morning. I am considering reinstituting evening walks. In addition to, not instead of. Morning walks will continue.

Con, The Physical

Walking I got covered. I do a mile in the morning. I can pop out a leisurely 5K stroll whenever I want. I do not need to walk more.

From a fitness standpoint, I would be better served by putting my time and energy into swimming, rowing, biking, doing tai chi, stretching. Just about anything other than more walking.

Then there is the idea of enlarging my carbon footprint by driving somewhere in order to walk. A ridiculous plan when I have a perfectly suitable space in the pasture.

However

Morning walks are not afternoon walks, for reasons in addition to the obvious.

Pro, The Mental

Evening walks clear my brain. I am not a morning person. In the morning, the brain is mostly vacant.

Morning walks take place in the pasture. No more discovering new places to walk. It was amazing how many new places I could find to fit in a mile. I miss that.

Evening walks are solo. Morning walks are in company. We are thinking about the horses. How are they this morning? How are they moving? How is their attitude? And so on. Back when Mathilda & I did this every day, I could walk along thinking my own thoughts. I can do that with Milton. Not so much with Rodney. Definitely not when the full team is together. [My Two Horses]

Result

Nothing yet. Still pondering.

Onwards!
Katherine

Bring Out The Blankets

Awareness of the outside world. ASPR: Order Your 4 Free At-⁠home COVID-⁠19 Tests.

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Blankets in the general sense of horse coverings.

First blanketing of the season. Rodney donned a sweatshirt to warm up before a ride on Sunday. [New Equipment]

Above 70 degrees.

Sunny.

Healthy, unclipped horse with a good start on his winter coat.

Shrug.

He likes to be warm. [I’m Cold, You Need A Blanket]

Onwards!
Katherine