Don't u feel weired when u see someone who has ur same name? or when ur parents tell u the story of how they chose ur name between two or more, and u think of urself having a different name?
I guess we all integrate our names in the image of ourselves, or maybe the other way around: we stick our qualities, our way of being and character on it.
....I've never met many other Ashkans so far, but when I did, I always found a totally different person which made the whole thing very odd. "He can't be an Ashkan...he's not worthy ;-) "
Much more interesting though is the meaning of names, or the reasons we choose a particular name for our kids!
Some names are human virtues, others are names for things, gems, flowers, animals (Leopardi is the first that comes in mind hehe) or even a great person's name ect...
But one day I remember asking to one of my african friends what was the meaning of his name. He told me how in his particular culture choosing a kid's name is a matter of family (probably extended family), and the name chosen is the feeling or the emotional condition the family is living in that moment, whether positive or negative.
It was quite interesting to me this thing...
Each one of us gives a different importance to his/her name...
- some use it just to show off, if they are lucky!
- some others see in it a model, a way of life to reach.
- and some others just don't care... (fair enough)
You might have wondered why my blog's link is called Ashkan-ascanio...
well since I was a kid my parents and others told me that actually Ashkan and Ascanio (i guess Ascanius in english) might be the same name in 2 different languages: farsi and italian.
I'm still not sure but it could be true since many greek names were adopted by persians after Alexander's conquest of the East.
Well, anyways... I like it, and some friends call me Ascanio in Italy.
But what I like is the meaning and story of Ascanio: it means "the elected one" (well seems like I'm in the group of the lucky hehe)
He was the son of Enea, a trojan soldier (u know Troy, with Brad P....i mean Achilles and Hector and so on) who before the complete destruction and invasion of the city received the sword of Troy from the prince Paris, and escaped with some others trojans and especially his little son and old dad.
They eventually ended up in Italy, and after severel years of war with local populations, they settled down.
Ascanio was the founder of a city which guess what???....became the beautiful Rome of today.
His descendents were Romolo and Remo, founders of Rome, Julius Cesar, Ottavio Augustus (the first emperor of rome) ect
All this just to say that sometimes I try to be like this legendary figure, trying to find my way in this life, opening my eyes to new opportunities and making an effort to contribute to the construction of something new and glorious on the dust of this burnt and lost humanity.
I want to close this post without my words...(which were more than "too much", sorry!)
O Son of Man!
I loved thy creation, hence I created thee. Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.
- Bahà'u'llàh -
