Thoughts on the Our Name

Juliet:   “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”  Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)  
So what IS in a name?  Plain, unusual, long, or short, your name identifies you from everyone else so it a name if very important.  Knowing how to pronounce is another issue worth considering.  For example, take my last name.
I had a very plain maiden name and I met lots of people who said they knew someone else who had the same name as me.  For some reason, that always bothered me.  People all over the place had MY name.  What was I?  A clone?  I guess I was insecure.  I told my mom I was going to find someone with a strange last name and marry him so no one else would have my name.
So the truth is out now:  I married Hubby for his name.  Not really, but it makes a good story for our children and grandson.  Right before we got married, my mother-in-law asked if I was prepared to go through life explaining my last name.  It’s better than listening to how many other people have your name.
The name Kjar is Danish is origin and pronounced “care.”  I’m happy about its simplicity in spelling and it’s a good conversation starter (one person said it sounded like a radio station).  People seem uncomfortable about pronouncing it wrong but it doesn’t really bother me if they get it wrong which is almost always.  As my father-in-law used to say, “I don’t KJAR how you say it.”  Or he’d say, “I don’t KJAR what you call me, just don’t call me late for supper.”  At work, I had a KJAR Bear by my name plate, hoping it would help people pronounce it correctly.  No one got it.
So if you see my name and wonder how to say it, I couldn’t KJAR less if you mispronounce it.  I know you are being KJARful not to hurt my feelings, but I don’t KJAR if you say it wrong.  All I KJAR about is that we enjoy seeing each other.  So take KJAR of yourself and be KJARing of others.