A Strange Failing

There are plenty of reasons to envy other people.

Wealth.

Experiences they've had.

The fact they're tall enough to take things down off shelves without needing a stepladder.

But the one that has me in its grips at the moment is a deep, abiding envy of people who are able to give names easily.

As in give names to other human beings (you know, babies) or to pets and then stick with them!

I've had these cats for over a year now, since October of 2010 officially and about April of 2010 unofficially and I've only managed to name one of them.

The other one...

I keep coming up with names but then discounting them, or doubting them, or looking at him and thinking 'Does he really look like a [blah blah]?'.

When we got my cat Pickles 14 odd years ago it took me 6 months to name him and I thought that was a long time.

I thought I'd get better with age.

I did not.

I mean, it's just a name for [insert the name of your deity or scientific constant here]'s sake!

It isn't like it has to capture his essence and resonate with the universal truth of the cosmos!

I avoided giving the cats proper names during the 4-6 month period when I was pretending I wasn't going to adopt them and was trying not to get attached, during which time I just referred to them as 'Little Mama' and 'Little Boy'.

Now Little Mama has her real name but Little Boy... I can't call him Little Boy his whole life, I might as well name him Cat!

Also it's incorrect. He's huge! He weighs a good 6 kg* at least!

Some people just seem able to get a pet or spawn a child and say 'I name thee [whatever]' and then stick with it.

And it doesn't even occur to them not to stick with it.

That is the pet/child/whatever's name and that's all there is to know.

Envy.

So much envy.

I'm getting to the point where I think I'll just have to pick one of the ones I like the most, say 'that's the one' and then to hell with Future-Me when she starts um-ing and ahi-ng about it.

I will name you soon, darling, I swear I will.



*That's about 13 lb for the imperial crowd.