A George Foreman by any other name...

One of the fallacies of semantics states that you can gain power over something by naming it. This is especially “true” when it comes to naming pets and children. With everything else, we must use the conventional labeling for things (unless we want to be seen as crazy). But for our pets and children, we choose what to call them.

Some unfortunate souls are stuck with a moniker that they just can’t shake. My husband, for example, has the same name as his father. After his parents’ divorce and years of estrangement from his father, it is the last name he wants to have. But what about all those poor “celebrity” children?

I was hoping it was just a rumor, but the fact is that George Foreman named all five of his sons George, and one of his daughters Georgette. You might find that many George’s in a family tree, but usually not all in the same household. Of course, they all have nicknames, but that’s beside the point.

Parents should wield the power to name wisely.