A fam'ly tradition: The name game.

Libby ---- Elizabeth ---- Liz ----- Granny
Walt ---- John ---- Papaw
Dennis ---- Den ---- Bubba-Den ---- John
Danny ---- Dan
Liz ---- Elizabeth
Charise ---- Reese
Bud ----- Jonathan
Bobby ---- Bob ---- Papa
Mot ---- Beth ---- Nana

What's with the name game? Are you John or are you Dennis? Have you taken on airs? Are you too good for your past --- are you running from something? Are you hidin' out from something or someone? Are you pretending to be somebody else? Are you now all grown up and sophisticated?

No. It's just a family tradition.

Above is a list of some of my closest family members (laws, outlaws, and inlaws). And you can see the handles we have worn as our lives have grown, changed, moved on, shaped up, shipped out and signed up.

I'm not done, yet. Maybe someday I'll be somebody's Papaw, too. And it won't just be my grandkids that call me Papaw, either. I will become so identified with that stage of my life that my grandkids will call me that --- and all of their friends will call me that --- and everyone else in my family will forget whoever I was in a past life. I will be everyone's Papaw. Even Terri will say, "You ready for bed, Papaw?" Or, "Where are we going on our vacation this year, Papaw?"

So, don't snerk your nose up at me when you hear me introduce myself as "John Bain." That's who I am right now --- until I decide to change again and become someone else. You can call me Dennis or even Brother Dennis if you want --- it doesn't make me angry. But sometimes it makes me sad. Sometimes I wish that guy was still around. The people who call me Dennis today and do it sincerely are really just trying to tell me that they still rememer him, fondly.

I'm in other very good company, too. Abraham started out as Abram, Sarah as Sarai, Israel started out as Jacob, and Peter began as Simon.

And now a closing word for all of you mundane, boring, colorless, flavorless "same name" people.

You have called yourself and been called the very same name for every minute of your entire life. And you probably have a very colorful 1st or 2nd name that nobody knows or ever uses. Your life circumstances have never so dramatically changed that you have ever been tagged anything else. Not a single nick name, pen name or pseudonym, alias, or A.K.A. Not so much as a "Tater Salad" in your file folder.

How sad is that?

Don't accuse ME of being uppity because I've chosen at this time in my life to called by the same name as my Dad. Right now I'm the only John Bain there is in these parts, and only Sunday someone asked me if I was "The" John Bain's son.

If I owe you money ---- you better make sure that I signed the check "John Bain," because if it says anything else it's worthless.

One last word and then leave me alone. Revelation 3:12 says that when I join the Lord in Glory
---- He is going to give me a new name.

So, all of you same names better get religion ----- it may be the only hope you ever have of getting a little panash.
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