My Name

My name and it's pronunciation have always been a complicated issue. Anjali is a common Hindi name meaning offering. You can attach a prefix to specify the nature of the offering, but stand-alone it is a simple open handed posture. I really like this image. And I like to believe that the meaning is a sort of sealed  destiny for me.  Empty-handedness before God. Everything I have and am an offering.

People tell me that they like my name, but I wonder if they know it? The true hindi pronunciation is UN-jali, but as a kid that strong first syllable made me uncomfortable and I welcomed the softer mispronunciation that gradually solidified into my 'outside of home' identity. My family holds strong to the original, and maybe this month in India will give me a new appreciation for their steadfastness.    Part of me wants to settle the debate. Part of me is content in the duality.

Today, however the issue was not with my first name but my last. I got to the airport and realized my plane ticket was booked under my married name whereas my passport still says Hamilton. Big mistake.   My only options were to buy a new ticket or to show my marriage license and disprove my "fraudulent" identity. Long story short I made it from Richmond to Burnaby and back in an hour and fifteen minutes, sprinting into the terminal five minutes before the gates closed.  A little bit of drama, a few desperate prayers, plenty of miraculous green lights and we're on our way.