Or, more accurately, what’s your name in?

Last night, I experienced something for the first time that is probably “old hat” to almost everyone else…

In the movie Waitress (1), the main character’s name is “Jenna” — spelled incorrectly, but pronounced the same as mine.

Now, normally, if someone’s saying Jenna, they’re meaning me (2), so during the first thirty minutes of the movie every time another character said “Jenna, you really need to …” or “Hurry up now, Jenna” or “Jenna, where’s that pie?” (3) I did a little cartoon double-take (4).

For those of you with more popular names (Mike, John, Anne, Jennifer, etc.), do you still do this (the little double-take thing)?  Did you ever?  If you did once, but you don’t anymore, do you remember what movie/show/party/school classmade made you stop?

(1) Good movie.  Highly recommended.
(2) If they’re saying “Geena” they’re probably also meaning me, but they probably don’t know me all that well and I might ignore them.
(3) Which they did *a lot* in the movie.  Or maybe I was oversensitive?  Sanity check on that one?
(4) It probably didn’t help that the movie was set in the (unspecified) South, so they sounded like people I’d know too.

Jerry posted this interview meme, which seemed fun (and I knew Jerry’s questions would be marvvy), so here are Jerry’s questions and my answers.

1: Do you know where you’re going to?
After much consideration, I don’t really think I’m going anywhere:  the truth is that I like it here (RTP-ish area) too much (1).  I used to think I “should” live somewhere else for a while (like I “should” eat more brussels sprouts (2)), but I’ve never found a compelling reason (in either case, actually) to do so (3).  I have traveled all over (admittedly mostly Western Europe and the states), and love visiting new places (anyone want to go to Japan?), but it seems the equations always balance in favor of “here”. (4)

I feel fortunate that my childhood home has grown in ways that are compatible with my growth… we now have many varieties of unusual food, somewhere I can get dried persimmons and places that carry Urban Decay makeup.  By contrast, when I was 10ish, there were only a few Chinese restaurants in all of Raleigh! (5)

2: Do you believe in magic?
I believe that the “edges” of science are fundamentally indistinguishable from the beginnings of faith or the appearance of magic (6).  I think that there are multiple (valid) ways of viewing the universe… as I said to someone the other day “The only thing I that I’m OK being closed-minded about is being open-minded.”  (FWIW, for me the answer to the often-rat-holed debate of “if you’re open-minded, do you have to think it’s ok for people to be closed-minded?” is “people can be as close-minded as they want, as long as they’re not hurting anyone else.”)

I also like Penn & Teller (for some reason I really need to introduce some levity into an otherwise perfectly plodding and pedantic answer.  Go figure.  ;-)

3: Do you believe in love?
See above regarding magic and science  ;-)

No, really, I do believe in love, but much like Phil pointed out, I believe “love” is a verb, not a noun.  Love is a choice you make (or, more accurately, it’s a million large and small choices) over the course of time.  I also believe that to a large degree we choose how we see the world, and by choosing to see the “good bits” of people we love, we make it easier to continue to love them.

4: What’s going on?
I am wishing I didn’t have a 100-page requirements document to read.  I am trying to ignore the puppy (who reaches her “witching hour” every day around 4:30 when all-of-a-sudden she NEEDS ATTENTION NOW).  I am frustrated by the 3 GB of photos I’ve taken recently and my inability to get Photoshop working on my computer.  Wow, that’s a bunch of negative stuff.

Try again:  I am looking forward to dinner tomorrow with a dear friend whom I haven’t seen in years.  I am within a few weeks (crossing fingers) of launching a major project.  I have butternut squash soup to have for dinner.

That’s better.

5: Why are there so many songs about rainbows?
I think it’s the Gay Conspiracy.

If I’m correct, and it is the Gay Conspiracy, we should be soon witness the death of the “Kountry-with-a-K” style of decorating.  (7)HOORAY!.

If you want to play along and now be interviewed by me, please leave me a comment saying: “Interview me.”

1 This doesn’t preclude moving, but I’d have to have a darn good reason.  Like “wuv.  twue wuv”
2 I really don’t understand them.  They’re frightening baby mutant cabbages.  And they smell HORRID when they’re cooking.  How could someone smell that and think “hm… those could be food!”
3 In their defense, I have eaten Brussels sprouts only a few times (they *look* weird and *smell* funny!) and one of those times I liked them (thank you, Paul).
4 (for instance, though I love the Bay area, it’s way too expensive for me to buy a house).
5 In the 5th grade Jennifer Chambers had her birthday party at one of those few Chinese restaurants, thereby allowing me enabling my first Chinese restaurant experience.  When they brought out the little mounds sticky rice in individual bowls I was quite confused about why we were getting ice cream so early in the meal (remember that my rice prior to that point was pretty much Uncle Ben’s.)
6.  I’m also pretty sure someone else has said this better than I.
7 HOORAY!.