What's in a name?

Since childhood I have both loved and hated my name. Hated because of the pestering I have received for it and loved because it was mine.

Some people haven't believed me when I introduce myself. Like this drop dead gorgeous Latino who I am sure was thinking, "No, your white!"

What does Lola mean? A girlfriend asked me once if my full name was Dolores, it's not but I have since learned that they are linked. It means sorrows or sorrowful. Which is not me. I always thought that it was a fun name and then to learn it's sad is kind of amusing.

Not a day has gone by that someone hasn't sung to me. The Kinks (L-O-L-A Lola), Damn Yankees (Whatever Lola Wants) & Copacabana (Her name was Lola) where all the culprit's of my childhood angst. Other songs that don't have Lola have been serenade as well, Leila by Eric Clapton for one. Where I once found this annoying now I kind of don't mind. If you have a good voice.

To go along with not being believed that my name is Lola, when I did phone customer service some guy insisted on calling me Phyllis. I said, "Hello this is Lola" and he said "Hello Phyllis." I said "No my name is Lola." He said, "Hello Phyllis." I decided not to argue with him and take his call. When he hung up he said, "Thank you, Phyllis." Maybe his wife was named Phyllis? Or something completely crazy, which was customer service, but that is a story for another time.

Here is some water-cooler info for you. Phyllis is the name of a women in Greek mythology who killed herself for love and was turned into an almond tree. I'm pretty passionate but I don't think I would go that far. I do like candie almonds though.

The best name website (according to me) is behindthename.com.