Sometime between 1999 - 2002
Kendriya Vidyalaya
National Security Guards
Manesar
"So, today's home assignment is that each one of you will ask the meaning of your name from your parents, ok? Find the meaning of your names!" Announced the teacher. For some of the students, it wasn't even a lot of work, but I was rather disappointed.
"Mom, what does my name mean?" I pestered my mother with this question. In response she didn't have the answer, but a story - "Moureena was my classmate, she was a brilliant student. So much so, she got a scholarship to study abroad. It was a big thing back in those days. We named you after her. "
But this didn't answer my question and Moureena would not go to school without completing her homework. No. Finally, my mom gave in and invented a meaning for my name. "Knowledge, Moureena means knowledge." She said. It made me happy. Very happy.
I don't know about knowledge, but I was definitely good at learning. I was doing well at school and my teacher happily accepted that my name colud mean 'knowledge'!
2009
K.V. Pinjore
Another place, another school. I was the new kid in class. You know what kind of responses new students generate in a class, don't you? A new kid is looked at with the same curiosity and amazement what a little kid would show when he or she visits zoo for the first time and sees the animals from her/his textbook come alive in 3 dimensions!
Games period. The class is out in the playground and I'm posed with the usual question -
"What's your name?"
"Moureena"
"Morni?"
Roaring laughter followed.
I swear if for every time I was asked what my name means or my name was pronounced wrong or it was misspelled, I earned a rupee, I would have bought Antilla (and made better use of the place it occupied, it is one of the least good looking buildings ever!)
By this time I knew that my name didn't mean 'knowledge' ( though that was a good one, Mom! :D ). I took up to the internet, and was given more answers than I could take.
"Moureena... Maureen.. Irish root... 'Star of the sea'.. a title used for Mother Mary... Mary means rebellious..."
Oh, so the root of my name is Maureen, which is an Irish name and means star of the sea which is a title used for Mother Mary? Amazing!
This happened to me in the days I considered being religious as a virtue and could I be happier?
I had a new, 'exotic' answer to this question until 3rd year of college happened. After that, I liked the meaning lesser than before.
2014
Rau's IAS Study Circle
Delhi
"What's your name?"
"Moureena"
"Oh, that's a lovely name. What does it mean?"
(Not again, man! Not again!)
"I'm not sure what it means, it has an Irish root."
"Oh, I have a friend in Ireland, I'll ask him."
"Okay."
"He says it doesn't mean anything in particular, its just a Catholic name."
"Oh, okay. Thank you."
Another day, another person, same question :
"What does your name mean, Moureena?"
"I don't know. "
"Oh, let me search for it on google."
"Do you think I have not done that before?"
"Let me do it again."
She couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer either.
"Told you, I've done it all. It is a Catholic name, doesn't mean anything in particular."
( To myself : What are you saying? You're not even Catholic!
As long as this girl shuts up and I can focus on the lecture again, anything would work.)
The girl smiles sheepishly.
What does my name mean? I remember one of the results said 'Mary means rebellious'. Yes, rebellious. My own self rebels against me at times and I wonder how difficult it must be to live inside this body with this mind. Rebellious, to the extent that even my ideas and dreams don't have my back at times. Definitely, it has to be rebellious.
I hope it does mean rebellious, but doesn't stop just at that. I hope it is the kind of rebellious which won't give up in any kind of adversity. More than rebellious, I hope it also means courageous. Courage is my favourite word, I really hope my name means that too. Courage to just live up to my own expectations, courage to do good, courage to transcend mediocrity, courage to build myself an exemplary life!
And, most importantly, the courage to live up to my name. I hope I do.
Kendriya Vidyalaya
National Security Guards
Manesar
"So, today's home assignment is that each one of you will ask the meaning of your name from your parents, ok? Find the meaning of your names!" Announced the teacher. For some of the students, it wasn't even a lot of work, but I was rather disappointed.
"Mom, what does my name mean?" I pestered my mother with this question. In response she didn't have the answer, but a story - "Moureena was my classmate, she was a brilliant student. So much so, she got a scholarship to study abroad. It was a big thing back in those days. We named you after her. "
But this didn't answer my question and Moureena would not go to school without completing her homework. No. Finally, my mom gave in and invented a meaning for my name. "Knowledge, Moureena means knowledge." She said. It made me happy. Very happy.
I don't know about knowledge, but I was definitely good at learning. I was doing well at school and my teacher happily accepted that my name colud mean 'knowledge'!
2009
K.V. Pinjore
Another place, another school. I was the new kid in class. You know what kind of responses new students generate in a class, don't you? A new kid is looked at with the same curiosity and amazement what a little kid would show when he or she visits zoo for the first time and sees the animals from her/his textbook come alive in 3 dimensions!
Games period. The class is out in the playground and I'm posed with the usual question -
"What's your name?"
"Moureena"
"Morni?"
Roaring laughter followed.
I swear if for every time I was asked what my name means or my name was pronounced wrong or it was misspelled, I earned a rupee, I would have bought Antilla (and made better use of the place it occupied, it is one of the least good looking buildings ever!)
By this time I knew that my name didn't mean 'knowledge' ( though that was a good one, Mom! :D ). I took up to the internet, and was given more answers than I could take.
"Moureena... Maureen.. Irish root... 'Star of the sea'.. a title used for Mother Mary... Mary means rebellious..."
Oh, so the root of my name is Maureen, which is an Irish name and means star of the sea which is a title used for Mother Mary? Amazing!
This happened to me in the days I considered being religious as a virtue and could I be happier?
I had a new, 'exotic' answer to this question until 3rd year of college happened. After that, I liked the meaning lesser than before.
2014
Rau's IAS Study Circle
Delhi
"What's your name?"
"Moureena"
"Oh, that's a lovely name. What does it mean?"
(Not again, man! Not again!)
"I'm not sure what it means, it has an Irish root."
"Oh, I have a friend in Ireland, I'll ask him."
"Okay."
"He says it doesn't mean anything in particular, its just a Catholic name."
"Oh, okay. Thank you."
Another day, another person, same question :
"What does your name mean, Moureena?"
"I don't know. "
"Oh, let me search for it on google."
"Do you think I have not done that before?"
"Let me do it again."
She couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer either.
"Told you, I've done it all. It is a Catholic name, doesn't mean anything in particular."
( To myself : What are you saying? You're not even Catholic!
As long as this girl shuts up and I can focus on the lecture again, anything would work.)
The girl smiles sheepishly.
What does my name mean? I remember one of the results said 'Mary means rebellious'. Yes, rebellious. My own self rebels against me at times and I wonder how difficult it must be to live inside this body with this mind. Rebellious, to the extent that even my ideas and dreams don't have my back at times. Definitely, it has to be rebellious.
I hope it does mean rebellious, but doesn't stop just at that. I hope it is the kind of rebellious which won't give up in any kind of adversity. More than rebellious, I hope it also means courageous. Courage is my favourite word, I really hope my name means that too. Courage to just live up to my own expectations, courage to do good, courage to transcend mediocrity, courage to build myself an exemplary life!
And, most importantly, the courage to live up to my name. I hope I do.
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