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rebecca girls gone child 380x388 Now we make each other better.

Rebecca Wolf and husband Hal

By MIA FREEDMAN

Wandering around the internet this week I popped in to visit one of my favourite bloggers, Rebecca Woolf at Girls Gone Child. Rebecca had her first child Archer pretty young and quickly followed that up with Fable and then last year, twins Boheme and Reverie.

Rebecca is a writer and her husband works in TV and she always writes so beautifully about her family life and the mental, physical, emotional and financial struggles she has, struggles which are so typical of women who are trying to navigate this stage of their lives.

I read what she wrote about marriage – in relation to a blip she was having with her husband, nothing major, just the usual temporary disconnection you can have when life is busy tossing you both around like a salad.

She writes:

Marriage is HARD. It’s hard and it’s weird and it’s terrifying and lonely and all of these things we do not discuss when we repeat our vows. “For better or for worse” is a little on the vague side I think.
Anyway. I was listening to this song and thinking of Hal and what it felt like in the beginning of our relationship when the biggest challenge was who was going to sleep at who’s house and how nobody really fights in the beginning of relationships because everyone is too busy posing and perfuming their assholes instead of you know, farting.
Which is awesome and I totally miss that because I’m a human being and that shit was fun. And hot. And non-farty. I miss the way life used to smell when Hal was making me mix tapes and I was cooking for him every night  and we were both these people that we weren’t really but WANTED to be because we thought we were better that way. We thought we were more lovable with mix tapes and four course meals and ironic sweater vests and me in the makeup I wore to sleep.
girls gone child 380x507 Now we make each other better.

Rebecca and Hal’s 4 kids

None of that exists anymore but it didn’t ever anyway. That’s what I’ve come to realize over time. That the beginning doesn’t really count. The beginning is basically a total bullshit lie.

In the beginning, we made each other “happy”. Now? We make each other BETTER. Happy, too, but also unhappy. Because growth hurts and the truth can be brutal and that is how we grow. That is how we grow as a couple and grow our children and that is how we grow.

  In the end, I feel insane in the fortunate department for finding someone who makes me better, who makes me grow. And I’d rather spend my life painfully (sometimes) growing than painlessly stunted. Because by its very nature “for worse” is undoubtably what makes me better. It’s what makes all of us better and closer and more tolerable and a team.
I love that and I can totally relate. Can you? So much in our culture is geared towards the rush of excitement and fun times that kick off a new relationship when we really are trying our hardest, masking our faults and being our ‘best selves’. Heady times.
But true intimacy comes later, when you drop your guard and reveal the parts of yourself that aren’t necessarily the shiny, happy, sexy bits so ostentatiously on display in the early days…….
Do you and your partner make each other better? How has your relationship changed over time?
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101 Comments so far

  1. Bradley

    An Italian friend of mine wanted to name her new daughter Tizziana. I don’t if that is the correct spelling. She has always loved the name, but knew that Tizziana would be shortened to Titz. Hence, the little girl was named Anna.

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  2. A non mouse

    To tell you the truth I don’t really understand what she is going on about!

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  3. Doz

    I too follow GGC and I do so because of the quality of the writing and the ‘realness’ of Rebecca’s voice.
    I am quite shocked at how vicious people have been about the names of her children. The names she has given them are unique, and beautiful and I hope the children thrive within the loving family that they are being brought up in.
    Silly names do exist (especially in hollywood) and these seem to be with people wanting to bring attention to themselves and their children: location ones (Bronx, Brooklyn), Cartoon character names (Blue) , Virtues (Chastity) and whatever the 7 name one that Uma Thurman just used, but the names that Rebecca chose are actual names, and have meanings that are important to both parents.
    Chill people…

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    • Anonymous

      I think ‘chill’ might be appropriate for you too, no one is being vicious – just questioning the names as they are very unusual.

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  4. carosmile

    I’m not sure why there are so many who are hung up about the names Rebecca & her husband chose for their children?

    It’s nobodies business but theirs. And opinions on names has not been sought by Rebecca. To name your child as you wish is the right of every parent. And the child can change their name as an adult if they really don’t like it.

    To suggest it makes life harder for them is a sweeping call. I’d suggest Kids will tease their peers no matter what their name was. For many years I was called by my middle name by everyone – Jan – you can’t get much more straight forward and non controversial as that.

    I got ‘Jam Sandwich’ and ‘Jan Jan Fireman’ from the other kids. I didn’t like it, so reverted to my full name, Carolyne at about age 9. No one came up with something to tease me about on that, so they went for other stuff – Daddy Long Legs, because of my height.

    It’s part of growing up. Names are so subjective. I remember how names like Beatrice, Thea and Violet were so old fashioned and great aunts were likely to be named that, and yet they’ve had a resurgence recently.

    Interestingly ‘Archer’ comes from 19th century names – so not too new. ‘Fable’ is listed on Baby name sites (for either Gender. Did you know classic names of Yvonne and Carol are also unisex names?), ‘Boheme’ and ‘Reverie’ do seem to be originals.

    None of these names raise an eyebrow for me, personally. In fact I like them. Not that the original post is asking for my opinion ;)

    Re @Ali‘s comment about you can’t make someone a better person. I agree. I’d offer that being mutually committed to a relationship can grow you further, so you feel you’ve become better for it. I do think that was what Rebecca was driving at.

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  5. leadlebeatle

    i get married in a little over a month. its our second marriage, we dont know each other without our kids from previous marriages around, time by ourselves, we cant wait for that………….right now we are recommitting to each other, 5 years ago we found each other and now we are reconfirming that love we found and gave each other.

    You want to know whats hard, SEPERATION, DIVORCE, LIES, BETRAYEL, HATRED. do you want to know what else is hard, being alone on xmas day when your kids are at their dads place this year, not speaking to another person from the time you put your kids to bed until they wake up in the morning.

    Having another person in your life to love with, to fight with, to talk with and to consider is one of the most wonderful things in the world. cherish it every day because you NEVER know when it will go away.

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  6. Ali flint

    Sorry to be contrary, but you can’t MAKE somebody else a better person. They have to do it themselves and take it on as a personal aim. A marriage merely facilitates or impedes this process. Self-realisation is not something somebody else can give you. But I think it’s certainly a critical moment in life when we begin to see others as a mirror which only ever reflects our own selves, and often those aspects of ourselves which we like least and least wish to acknowledge. In this respect a good working marriage can help immensely.

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  7. Kiwi

    Thanks Mia for posting this, I’m just spent two happy hours reading the Girl’s Gone Child site and blubbed like a baby at the gorgeous post she wrote about Fable’s 4th birthday in Life Story. Love all the children’s names and how the writer documents her family life.

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  8. Lou

    I called my children beautiful, whimsical names too.

    They are:

    1. Hallow Arora Tuesday (Halli)
    2. Nefertiti Louise Diamonte (Lou)
    3. Valiant Stargazer Daydream (we just call her Star)

    Sometimes people give me a bit of flack but if they can’t appreciate our creativity that is their problem, frankly.

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    • Michelle

      Creativity is one word for it!

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    • Anonymous

      No, it’s now your children’s problem. Sigh.

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      • Anonymous

        Not necessarily. It’s not the 50′s any more you know.

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        • Anonymous

          What’s the fifties got to do with not giving your children frankly bizarre names such as ‘Valiant’, are you serious?

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    • Bradley

      Whimsical ????????

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    • Bradley

      Silly question….why didn’t you just name your children Halli, Lou & Star ?

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      • Lou

        For the same reason Rebecca calls Boheme (rhymes with poem) Shalom “Bo” and Reverie Lux (oy! Not the soap) “Revi”. Not everyone shares our great taste in names and simultaneous ability to be whimsical and unque and hip and cute. Bradley my dear.

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        • Bradley

          “The Mikado” is whimsical.

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        • B

          Whimsical, unique, hip and cute? There’s the problem right there. They are people. Not my little ponies.

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          • Bradley

            You’re right with the My Little Ponies analogy.

            You have given me the biggest laugh that I’ve had today. It’s been such a bloody awful day, too !

            Thank you ! :)

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        • Jess

          Lou, I can’t believe others are falling for it but surely you’re not being serious?

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      • Sienna

        Or Halli, Titi & Vali?

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  9. Ladybug

    Painfully stunted. What a perfect description for how my EX partner and I ended up. Can I borrow the term please???

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    • Sienna

      She actually said “painlessly stunted”!

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  10. Anonymous

    I follow Rebecca’s blog, and I love it. Love her, love her kids names (not that they have anything to do with the post, but woah, some of the comments on here about her kids names are harsh). This one felt so close to home for me, my hubby and I have been together for a loooooong time and I can’t think of a better articulation of marriage/partnership. Sometimes hard, but when it’s right it’s so worthwhile.

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  11. Ali

    Rebecca, if you’re reading this, I LOVE your kids’ names… I also love your writing and it is thanks to Mia that I stumbled across your blog just over a year ago – the first blog of yours I read was after Bo and Revi’s birth – I’ve been following it ever since.
    So thanks Mia and thanks Rebecca, your two blogs are the two I follow religiously xx

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  12. JosieY

    RE the names:
    a) I think they are beautiful
    b) I will promise to teach my kids not to laugh at people’s names if you’ll do the same, and then the whole world will be a better place! Deal?

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  13. JustMe

    My husband and I have only been married for 86 days. Our wedding day was the happiest day of my life. 22 days ago he moved out. We had had a really rough year leading up to the marriage (all things out of our hands), We still love each other so much but realised that we needed a bit of space to start appreciating each other again. The first few weeks were hard (it was his decision and I had NO idea what was going on) but now it is brilliant! We have rediscovered each other again, and really talked to each other. When he moves back things will be different :)

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    • Jess

      Good luck with that but it doesn’t sound like a good start to a marriage to me. If anything, it looks like a MASSIVE red flag.

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  14. oneofthesarahs

    I generally object to the idea that marriage is hard, I don’t find living with my best friend, loving him, laughing together and going through life together to be hard. It’s the bits around it that are hard. Going to work, managing finances, having kids and knowing how to raise them, dealing with our own families, negotiating Christmas and filling in centrelink forms – those things are hard. Marriage with my husband feels natural and normal.

    Having said that, he does make me better, better at being critiqued (not criticised), better at being taught, better at dealing with my emotions, better at cutting onions. I have made him better too, better with money, better at birthdays (remembering them), better at taking compliments.

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    • oneofthesarahs

      I want to change the first line of my previous post. I don’t object to the idea – I recognise that for some people marriage is hard, but for me, in my marriage, I reject the idea that it is hard.

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      • distracted

        You’re very lucky :) For me, it is hard but so worthwhile!

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      • Bex

        Have to agree.
        Life is hard. Marriage shouldnt be.

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  15. Will & Ollie's mum

    Mia – I liked your comments! You have a beautiful way with words, especially about life tossing you around like a salad :)

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  16. saculid

    I totally agree! My husband & I make each other much better & boy has that process been hard sometime but totally totally worth it!!!
    I’m saddened by how many people I see these days get divorces & so early on in their relationships. I know things aren’t always straight forward in these situations BUT I really do beg people to not give up too easily to not be trying so hard to keep the ‘beginning happy feelings’ but to build on them as you get to know each other & better each other & your families because of your marriage, your partnership!
    The hard work is worth it!!!!

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  17. Cinnamon

    Oh I love this! I love Rebecca’s blog and follow her on IG her kids are the cutest and the way she writes is amazing!

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  18. Andrea

    Thank you for this. I was just thinking about this, this morning. I had options before getting married, and spent a lot of time wondering, why I chose what seemed to be the hardest option of them all. A person who was the total opposite to me. Everyone told me, if it is hard, then it is probably not right. For some reason, I kept going. I realise I am a better and much stronger person because of him. I stand up for myself, and the things that I believe in, and have learnt that the truth will set you free. (I used to be a big white liar).

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  19. Punkernickle

    I agree with this. I think my current partner and I area good example of this. On paper, we shouldn’t even work and we often look at each other with expressions that clearly say, “what the hell are you doing with me”

    And the answer is – “you make me a better person”. Also, there is no reliance on the other to make us happy and give each other enough space to achieve our individual goals.

    Of course, at this stage, we don’t have children, so no idea how that would impact the dynamic, but right now, it works brilliantly!

    Often, our relationship reminds me of the part in Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, the part about Marriage:

    You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
    You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
    Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
    But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
    And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

    Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
    Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
    Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
    Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf
    Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
    Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

    Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
    For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
    And stand together yet not too near together:
    For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
    And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.

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    • Bradley

      That passage is nothing short of superb !

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      • Punkernickle

        If you haven’t already, read The Prophet – it is my guide to Life!

        The part about children is my all time favourite – came across it in a book as a child, wrote it down not knowing it was in fact part of a larger piece (it was pre-internet!), and then serendipitously came across the lot in my early 20s (and immediately started buying copies for EVERYONE I KNEW).

        Here’s a link: http://www.katsandogz.com/gibran.html

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    • Anonymous

      We had this wonderful piece as the reading at our wedding, 13 years ago. I love it as much today.

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  20. Emily

    This is lovely and made me tear up!

    I feel very lucky that after starting a relationship when we were both 21, my husband makes me actively happy almost every day, even 10 years later.

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  21. J

    What a true piece of writing! At the start of our relationship when we were 19 we did what was socially expected of us, now 7 years later and married we do what we want to do. We are best friends. We sit and eat dinner and talk about our day like friends do. We love the way we are

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  22. Donna

    After 2 years, we are making each other happy and better. This not being our ‘first’ relationships, we are who we are warts and all! No pretences. i don’t want to go back to the first romances and trying to be who we aren’t!

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  23. Anonymoose

    What a beautifully apt piece of writing.

    My husband has made me a kinder more loving version of myself and I think he has learnt to take less rubbish from people (including me) and that he doesnt need to be a ‘yes man’ to make people like him.

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    • 4wl

      as iron sharpens iron

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  24. Laura

    Rebecca has such thoughtfully named children.

    Archer Sage
    Fable Luella
    Boheme Shalom
    Reverie Lux

    I remember the excitement in the name (nerd) community just before she announced the twins names. People were literally going crazy on the naming forums trying to guess what they would be.

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    • B

      How do you pronounce the last two? Also, do yo think other people aren’t thoughtful if they don’t choose names like that?

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      • Laura

        Not at all, I know all new parents put a huge amount of time and energy into their kids names!
        After all, it’s like picking an outfit you are going to wear everyday for the rest of your life, you need to love it.
        It’s just that I’ve read all about Rebecca’s naming process and I found it all very sweet, that’s why I used the term ‘thoughtful’.

        As far as I know ‘Boheme’ rhymes with ‘poem’ and is French.
        ‘Reverie’ is pronounced ‘rev-uh-ree’ and loosely translates to ‘day dream’

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      • Laura

        Not at all, I know all new parents put a huge amount of time and energy into their kids names!
        After all, it’s like picking an outfit you are going to wear everyday for the rest of your life, you need to love it.
        It’s just that I’ve read all about Rebecca’s naming processand I found it all very sweet, that’s why I used the term ‘thoughtful’.

        As far as I know ‘Boheme’ rhymes with ‘poem’ and is French.
        ‘Reverie’ is pronounced ‘rev-uh-ree’ and loosely translates to ‘day dream’

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    • Anonymous

      I mean no disrepect to Rebecca because she seems lovely, but I hear those names and think ‘oh my gosh’ – those children will be subject to ridicule, and spending the rest of their lives spelling their names every single time.

      It’s hard to imagine ‘Prime Minister Boheme Shalom’ too.

      Sorry Rebecca I just don’t understand this craze of everyone needing to name their children something ‘original’…

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      • B

        I agree Anonymous – I named my kids fairly neutral names as I didn’t want their names to be an issue for them or point them in a particular direction. I can’t imagine her kids being anything other than in the arts with names like that. I think, as one commenter above suggested, she seemed to name them more for her online community to feed the buzz of ‘what’s she going to name them’ than thinking of her kids as 60 year old investment bankers/police officers/ lawyers or whatever they choose to be.

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      • Punkernickle

        You know, I was thinking the same thing, but then when I read it out loud – Prime Minister Boheme Shalom – I REALLY liked it!

        However, if it were shortened to Bo and the surname was Woolfe (and I don’t know that it is), then, well… Beowulf…

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      • Anon

        Sometimes I wonder if this is the modern equivalent of people naming children after the virtues they wanted them to have eg Patience, Chastity, Harmony, Felicity.

        For example, whether people who give their kids “arty” names are hoping that their kids will grow up to be artists of some nature.

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        • Anonymous

          Ah yes – that is all well and good
          But what if they become parking inspectors? Or a maths teacher? And not trapeze artists or fashion designers or musicians?

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      • neola

        How short-sighted. Why on earth would someone’s name stop them becoming Prime Minister or anything else they wanted to be?

        Every name seems strange the first time someone uses it including your own. After no time at all, you just own it. If the parents are the kind of people to think outside the square by not using a so-called ‘neutral’ name, and raise the children to be confident enough in themselves to carry it off, then I think that’s a great start for grooming a future world leader.

        Remember, people once said a guy whose last name rhymed with Osama could never be president. and Barack is a pretty unusual name, right? But it makes him stand out in the crowd.

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        • Anonymous

          Short-sighted? Over reaction much? I’m just (I hoped politely) putting a point of view across, there’s really no need to tell me I am short sighted, which for your information I’m really not.

          Surely you’ve got to admit it creates a certainly element of difficulty for children to name them something so unusual that they would get ‘what the’ looks, have to spell it out every single time, and possibly not be taken as seriously because of ‘hippy’ names, that’s where the comparison with the Prime Minister comment came in.

          It’s really about avoiding the scoff of others, and unfortunately as lovely as these names may be to some (I haven’t actually said I disliked them), that’s what they would create a lot of the time.

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          • Kate

            My name is Kate. I always have to spell it, and at least 70% of the time someone writes Cate, or Katie or even Catherine instead. I have a friend called Jane who get’s Jayne or Janie, and another called Mary who get’s Maria, Marie and Mari. A boring name doesn’t ensure people will spell it correctly. I know I pay a lot more attention when I have to spell an unusual name.

            As for the ‘you’ll never become President/PM’ thing, Barack Obama is a pretty unusual name for most Americans. As is Mitt for that matter.

            I know a Leif who’s head of a major NGO, a Blossom (who goes by Possum to everyone who knows her) who owns an architectural firm and a Summer Rain who’s a very well respected academic.

            I think an unusual name is actually an advantage. It’s a conversation starter and people are more likely to remember you whereas they’ll struggle to remember which one of the 4 Jessica’s they met at an event was you.

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            • Anonymous

              There’s a big difference between an uncommon name, and a made up name.

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            • cim

              His real name is Willard Mitt Romney just fyi.

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            • Anonymous

              I’m aware of his full name, but he doesn’t go by Willard, he goes by Mitt. And both are unusual anyway, so I don’t see why the distinction matters.

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      • Micadam

        It’s all relative, I think. Archer, Fable, Boheme and Reverie may be uncommon as names for some people, but they are certainly not uncommon words. I grew up speaking English and French and didn’t blink an eye at the names, their spellings (which are in fact accurate, and not nonsensical) or question their pronunciation – simply because the words are familiar to me.

        Sometimes naming a child is not always about originality, but rather personal sigificance. I wouldn’t choose them for my kids, but I did seek names that meant something to me when naming my boys.

        Living in a country with such cultural diversity, surely we come across unfamiliar names every day. I work with a Hank, a Youssef, an Amar, a Tomoko, a Siobhan – names that are unfamiliar and uncommon in my little world, but no less relevant in their worlds. This doesn’t necessarily mean these people would/should be subject to ridicule just because I think they are odd names in my world.

        I can well imagine a Prime Minister Boheme Shalom, just as I know there is/was a Mahatma Gandhi, a Theodore Roosevelt, a Victor Chang, a Ban Ki Moon, an Aung San Suu Kyi, a Donald Bradman… and the list goes on.

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        • B

          I think the difference is Micadam is that those names fit the culture they are part of. You wouldn’t expect to meet a Japanese person (for example) called Frank. If you did, I’m sure you’d do a bit of a double take. I think the questioning comes from people wondering why. Why choose names that aren’t from our culture? Why would you name your kids something that they are going to have to spell their whole lives? Why choose names that are culturally alienating for them? I guess kids in this generation will grow up being more accepting of names that aren’t mainstream (or even on the periphery of mainstream) but for some (like me) it’s too hard to stomach. Unfortunately, it makes me think their parents are trying a little bit too hard to be cool (this is just my opinion!).
          I had a friend who named her daughter something cool and funky. When she realised a couple of months later that being a parent wasn’t about being cool and funky (and you’re not naming a cabbage patch doll, these kids have to actually, you know, live with this), she changed it when she was 2 months old. I applauded her decision. I think her daughter will be much happier!

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        • Anonymous

          “Mahatma Gandhi, a Theodore Roosevelt, a Victor Chang, a Ban Ki Moon, an Aung San Suu Kyi, a Donald Bradman… ”

          Sorry but your list doesn’t make much sense – different nationalities/different cultures.

          Rebecca’s names are ‘whimsical’ if anything, it’s not signifying a different background/culture/country etc.

          And am still not sure how ‘Donald Bradman’ got in there?

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    • Anon

      The names made me think of the movie “The Rage in Placid Lake”, where Ben Lee plays a guy named Placid Lake who was born to hippy parents and then horrified them by working in insurance.

      Would be amused if the kids ended up working in areas like insurance and investment banking with those names :)

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      • Anonymous

        If I have two children I shall name them Wrigley and Eclipse. After those sugarfree mints.

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        • Punkernickle

          Cracked me up!

          And then I thought – GET SPONSORSHIP!

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    • BeCreativeAndUniqueDamnIt

      I think those names are a lot to live up to in terms of originality and arty-ness.

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    • Shanieequa

      Are they boys or girls?

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      • Bradley

        You mean that the names aren’t a dead giveaway ? :)

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        • Shanieequa

          Colour me clueless! ‘fraid not. ;)

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      • Anonymous

        Girls

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        • Bradley

          I certainly never would have guessed !

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    • Anonymous

      People who choose names like Jack or Tom or Anne or Jane are equally thoughtful in choosing those, methinks.

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  25. Anonymous

    What do I think? I want to know if women have always over thought things or has blogging caused it?

    How can women take a word (ambition?) or a simple deed and weave an entire essay out of it?

    I don’t get it. I’m 50 and I’ve never analysed my relationships, my children or myself to the extent that women seem to be doing a the moment.

    My philosophy, if I had one, would be – life’s a puzzle. If you pull it apart too often you mightn’t get the pieces back in the right place.

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    • Bradley

      Your philosophy is brilliant !

      I intend using those words often in the future.

      Another favourite is “deliberately go looking for the bad in something and you are sure to find it”.

      I consider myself extremely fortunate to be in a great relationship. My wife is absolutely without peer. We don’t sit about analyzing what exists between us. We just know that it’s there and that we can count on the other for 100% support, regardless of the situation.

      Maybe in the instance of this particular article, the author feels that confession is good for the soul….to pinch another piece of philosophy.

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      • Rach the Muso

        One of my philosophies is “If you drive through life staring in the rearview mirror, you’ll probably drive off the road.”

        I am pretty sure you could wrangle that to fit this scenario as well!

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    • Rhiannon

      Hey Anon,

      I don’t think blogging *causes* thoughts like this; I think that some people have always analysed and blogging simply gives them a platform to express their thoughts, analysis, concerns etc

      In relation to you not analysing relationships etc, I think some people are naturally more reflective than others. I, for example, analyse everything from myself, my friends, my family, to the customer who was rude to me for absolutely no reason (that I could tell). I have just always been like that, even when I was a child. And yes, I often overthink things and think that there is a lot to be said for the last line of your post – I will definitely remember that one. However, my over-analysing isn’t something I can always control. I put these thoughts on my blog as a way to document them, or to get other peoples’ opinions etc, but even if blogging didn’t exist, I would still be analysing and probably writing in a journal.

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    • B

      My partner calls the ‘Carrie syndrome’ (from Sex and the City). He can’t be in earshot of an episode because he ends up screaming at the TV to shut up and stop the over-analysing (among other things). And yet, he’s a total Woody Allen fan!

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    • I’ve got to agree to some extent Anonymous.

      I am, on my best days, a catastrophiser and over thinker.

      On my worst days, when reading articles like this one and all the “you’re broken up! he’ll be settled within someone else within 2 years and you’ll stay SINGLE” articles around, I turn into a paranoid psychic, convinced I can see the future exactly as it is because “didn’t you know, I read this article on Mamamia and they said that there are 16 women for every one single man in Australia” and “I’m the one before the one, I’ve made him perfect for someone else!”.

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    • kfergo55

      I respect your opinion Anonymous. You sound like my husband.

      Even if I will never be a blogger (i’m shite at writing anything other than computer languages)… I appreciate and am thankful for this tenuous bond of women readers and women writers that have congregated here at Mamma Mia.

      So keep writing ladies. Some people really enjoy reading.

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  26. Bradley

    Boheme & Reverie ?

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    • Liv

      Dinner party rules, Bradley.

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      • Bradley

        Hi Liv. I often ask questions at dinner parties.

        This was one of those occasions.

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    • Let's get it out of the way

      Archer & Fable?

      Can’t see any alphabet vomit though, Bradley, so it’s A OK.

      Who am I to comment … mine all have names from the First Testament. Clearly, they’re more likely to grow up to be presbytery paedophiles than fabulously alternative artyfartys.

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    • Michelle

      AND Fable!

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      • Bradley

        Will Fable have foibles ?

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        • afw

          Before I checked, I assumed on reading that Fable was a boy. I so hope she grows up and falls in love with someone named Aesop – that would be brilliant ! I am sure there must be a few little Aesops out there.

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          • Bradley

            Aesop’s Fable. That would imply some kind of ownership, surely.

            Best that Fable falls for someone with a different name.

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            • Ren

              Oh come on, it would be the brilliant new version of Shades of Grey! Aesop’s Fable. Seriously.

              (I think all of her kids names are a right wank, by the way. I miss good, reliable, gender specific names like Agnes and John.)

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            • the Original Camille

              maybe the partner’s surname could be Gable?

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    • Punkernickle

      I like them! Not immediately, but when I said them out loud and thought what they could be shortened to -ie Bo and Revi – I really liked them.

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      • Bradley

        But the sad situation is that at some stage of their lives they will be required to give their names in full and unbridled mirth will spontaneously erupt around them.

        I could never contemplate putting any child that I may father in that situation.

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        • Anonymous

          I dunno Bradly, I think they’ll be in good company. I have to write down a lot of children’s names in my job and there are many, many ‘original’ sounding names out there these days. It’s not often you get a ‘Jack’ or ‘Ben’, they’re all pretty out there.

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          • Theo

            I named my boys Ben & Jack cause I have to spell my real name to EVERY SINGLE PERSON I meet and it drives me mad!

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        • Punkernickle

          Dammit… I sent a big long reply to this which may have been caught up in the spam filter for using the P word – can someone please check so I don’t have to try writing it again? I thought I made good points and want to know what Bradley thinks!

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          • Punkernickle

            * big sigh* OK… I’ll try again, in fewer words..

            Bradley, in response to the above..

            I think as multiculturalism grows, these names won’t seem so weird. There are already people from different cultures out there with ‘weird’ names. Many Asians for eg use Anglicised names but their ‘real name’ are required in full sometimes, so lots of people already live in that situation and as time goes on, it just won’t seem that weird anymore. They may even end up living in a different country where people don’t even know that these aren’t traditional Anglo names.

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            • distracted

              I agree. Plus there are just so many unusual names on Caucasian kids that I think not too many eyebrows will be raised in future.

              Plus, my mother would have said, if a room full of people is laughing at you for your name, they’re not the sort of people you want to be around anyway.

              We shouldn’t validate such rude behaviour by just avoiding naming our kids what we want.

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      • Anonymous

        Revi – reminds me of Rev (the milk). With a middle name like Lux, Rev Lux sounds like a milky soap. Is Reverie a boy or a girl ?

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        • Punkernickle

          Not familiar with the soap Rev, but agree Rev Lux sounds like soap!

          I know someone called Revi (also short for a longer Indian name – not sure what it is), so that was the first name that popped into my head when I saw the name.

          I think Reverie sounds female, but I don’t know for sure.

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          • Anonymous

            Lux is a soap (Unilever own this brand)

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    • B

      I think as this showbiz generation have grown up and named their kids, I think we’ve forgotten the difference between a ‘stage name’ and a ‘name’. I think there was good reason for having that difference too.

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