[lit-ideas] Concerning the struggle to abolish first names (3)
- From: "phatic" <phatic@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 19:44:12 +0200
Georg Johannesen:
CONCERNING THE STRUGGLE TO ABOLISH FIRST NAMES
_A contribution to the word class struggle as a Norwegian love story_
3. The break-down. A marriage history
Then I met Liv, whom I fell for. She had quite a first name. She made
me live, to be silly. It was no end to the number of stale
compliments I gave her with inspiration in her enormous first name.
(Use your imagination: Alive, Lively, Live-in, and many other ugly
and funny things which could amuse a simple soul as my wife's.)
But she called me Georg.
She said it often, particularly when she wanted to address me or in
some other way try to get my attention.
- Georg, she said.
Or:
- Look here, Georg!
With the word "here", she referred to herself. But it was on her, or
in her direction, she wanted me to see when she said "look-here". It
took me a while to see through her. But then I saw everything.
- Come, Georg, she said and grabbed my arm.
Met a friend, i.e. party member, so I said:
- You, meet my wife.
Or more formally:
- May I introduce my spouse? It is Mrs. Misses. She has kept her
maiden name from the time she was called Miss Misses. She finds it so
radical, you see, husband or wife, Mrs....?
Naturally she would respond:
- Stop it, Georg!
Typical, isn't it? She wanted me to capitulate. She wouldn't accept
that I was N.N. who never gave in. She didn't understand that I
consisted in acquiring new cover names, such as Leif or Hoo and Hush.
No, my wife wouldn't be in the phone directory, she wanted a
permanent residence, and when we had a son, she honestly wanted to
call him Georg. As in Jr.
But then I called a halt to it. I threatened to sever all contact
with her. I loved her. But while I loved her, I would say:
- Well, if that's how you want it, I might as well break off my only
connection to you!
- Stop it, she cried and seemed to want to continue, but from then on
we only practiced 69. And only in the dark.
On 2 Aug 2004 at 18:54, phatic wrote:
> 1. Introduction
>
> For many years I tried to have first names banned.
>
> I saw the use of first names as a Heathen-Christian practice or mal-
> practice, founded on word-magic and mystical thinking, thus pure
> idealism. The use of first names gave fertile soil for conspiracies
> between persons who had mutual knowledge of their names. First names
> gave a false sense of self. People one could expect more from, left
> names and addresses as if they lived in a safe society. Thus, the use
> of first names was corrupting, confusing and weakened the survival
> instinct. I struggled against first names for political reasons: I
> wanted to survive the 20th century!
>
> With the passing of years, my trust in my fellow people has increased
> steadily. Today I see no reason, consequently, to conduct my struggle
> alone, but rather to come out in the open in Windows* and ask for
> support from readers who share my basic outlook.
>
> Thus, my name is Georg Johannesen.
>
> I expect a series of anonymous mails.
>
> 2. Before
>
> Before I used to say:
>
> - Call me Johannesen.
>
> If I met new people, I would mumble:
>
> - J-o-a-s-n.
>
> People thought I said Johannesen, Johansen, Hansen, Johnsen, Jensen and
> so on.
>
> I was often misheard, but always misunderstood. When I mumbled my last
> name, people thought I was modest and socially insecure. People didn't
> understand how audacious I was. I was probably socially insecure, but
> in my own way. I'll always manage, I thought. But what about them? I
> trusted me, but not them, to put it simply.
>
> I knew who I was. I didn't want to say what my name was, because then
> they would have a hold on me. I wasn't for sale. I wasn't corrupt. And
> I knew that people continued to be naive enough to say their name
> aloud, memorize it and remember what I, for instance, was called.
>
> _Note:_
>
> For a while, I thought of calling myself "I", as a first name, and
> "We" as last name. Then I would introduce myself thus, loudly and
> clearly:
>
> ITISIWEGOODDAYYOUYOU.
>
> My friends found it moderately funny. But I didn't get a bank loan.
>
> [* Georg Johannesen, 'Om kampen mot bruk av fornavn', _Vinduet_ 1,
> 1972. Translated by T E Fjeld.]
--
phatic@xxxxxxxxxx
http://phatic.blogspot.com
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