What's in a name...?

First off, I'm not even sure why I'm blogging. While I'm a person who is open about her life and adventures (anything for a good story) I'm not sure spilling one's guts in a public diary is the best way to leave a legacy.

I also don't want this to be just one more meditation on a gender transition...although that's a subject always in need of more teachers.

In the end I've decided to let this space become what it will in an organic manner. I will strive to not go overboard on the self-editing...and I will also pledge to not be maudlin.

If I fail in either of these tasks I count on any possible readers to let me know. We'll discuss.

Who the hell will be reading this bloody thing anyhow?

Whatever.

I wanted this first post to be about names. My new name...and the name of this blog...

What's in a name? It's kinda like getting a tattoo in that it should be a name you plan on keeping for a while, right? It's all about branding, babies. We are all our own PR machines these days. Yes?

So...earlier this year...with this self-imposed pressure...I set out to once and for all (and finally) choose a feminine name for myself. I had started transition in the past...back in 1991. I was 28 and a cigarette smoker (a potentially deadly thing when taking massive amounts of estrogen)...and I partied pretty hard...all in an effort to force myelf through transition without having to actually think about it or deal with the assiociated emotional pain that I assumed would consume me. I backed off transition at that time before I had the necessity to choose a new moniker.

Now, I had to do it for reals. So I buckled in…

I have always had a few rules about naming myself:

1. The name had to start with a "D"
2. It had to have 2 syllables
3. The first syllable had to have a long "A" sound
4. I couldn't know anyone with the same name (lest someone think I named myself after them)

My "slave name" (as my friend refers to it) does not have a natural feminine equivalent...unless you consider Davida a good name. And I don't.

Anyhoo…long story short…I eventually landed on “Daya”. It sorta spoke to me and while at least one friend (and my aunt Peggy) expressed disagreement with the choice, I decided to test drive it.

Then I Googled the word.

Turns out, according to Wikipedia, it’s a word in the Sikh religion meaning Compassion...one of five essential qualities including Truth, Contentment, Humility and Love.

I was sold…

...and now it feels like a natural part of me…much more quickly than I would have imagined. No one really refers to me as David anymore unless by accident. It’s been a smoother part of my transition thus far than I thought it might be.

Wheeee...!!

The second and last part of this post is about a much less important naming issue:

What to call this blog?

Of course, lots of titles presented themselves immediately…

One Daya at a time
Daya by Daya
Dayas of Wine and Roses
Daya in and Daya out
This is the Daya
Red letter Daya
I wasn’t born yesterDaya
All in a Daya’s work
Tomorrow is another Daya
Eight Dayas a week
A Daya late and a dollar short
Night and Daya
In this Daya and age
Make my Daya!
Rome wasn’t built in a Daya
Bad hair Daya
Another Daya another dollar
That’ll be the Daya
No Daya but toDaya
Have a nice Daya
A hard Daya’s night
Hump Daya
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do toDaya
Seize the Daya
A cold Daya in hell
Just one of those Dayas
Queen for a Daya
Same shit, different Daya
Thank God it’s FriDaya
Broad Dayalight
Rain, rain go away; come again some other Daya
If ifs and buts where candy and nuts, every Daya would be Christmas
ToDaya is the first Daya of the rest of your life

But…now that I’ve got that out of my system…I’m going with the sublimely simple DAYA THE BLOG.

Now go outside and play…!!