Writing my name
I remember the first time I tried to write my name. It was frustrating and a great memory at the same time.
Well, the situation started because at that time, I did not have somebody to take care of me at home. And my parents, being both teachers tried to take me with them in their school. I remember having an allowance also, one peso. All I bought was a piece of sweet bread for 50 centavos. Then gave back the change to my mother. I was pretty good huh? But then I was four, what do you expect?
I sat with the first grade students. I was their baby brother. I listened to their lectures and took their exams – when it suited me of course. Their first ranked student took me under her wing. Tutored me in some of the lessons. She was a big girl, bigger than most boys her age. I wonder if she was not overaged.
Anyway, when it came to writing time, I was way behind the first graders. It was my first time after all and I never attempted writing beyond doodling. My first task was to learn how to write my name. Looking at it now, writing is just a matter of controlling your fingers to sketch what you want. Back then it was not very easy. First I needed to write the letter S. Capital S, small s. Repeat for the whole page. Then do another page. Until your hand hurts.
I always thought I do good work. But writing my name, even I admit that the output was not a good sight. My teacher told me that they looked like unruly and ugly worms. And no two worms were the same.
But since everybody was three years older than I was, I always get praised for effort. Or maybe those stinky first graders were glad they had some less stellar performer in class so none of them could take to slow learner award. Good thing my big girl saviour made her personal work to tutor me. In writing and other lessons. I wonder where she is now. I can’t even remember her name.
Eventually my writing became a bit legible. Until I can write my whole name in all of the ssix lines of my grade school paper in a matter of minutes.
Shawn Kelvin G. Pamintuan
Shawn Kelvin G. Pamintuan
Shawn Kelvin G. Pamintuan
Shawn Kelvin G. Pamintuan
Shawn Kelvin G. Pamintuan
Shawn Kelvin G. Pamintuan
One morning I forgot to make my homework. I just remembered a few minutes before leaving for school. They I told my mom that I can write my name six times in less time my father can finish combing his hair. Such a braggart kid! To think my father took fewer than ten swipes to finish combing his hair. I didn’t finish before he did but shortly after. So much for bragging.
Next thing I remember is the series of complaint that my name was too long for the paper. Fitting them in a single line was a challenge. All of those big fat 21 letters, four spaces and a period. At first I used two spaces. But then all of my classmates were using single lines. Screw them and their short ugly names! So I had to follow. I start writing my name in my regular sized letters and as I approach the end of the line the letters become smaller and thinner. But that way my name fits in a single line. Classic, haha!
I never understood the need of writing in cursive. But of course being a student, you cannot complain. So when I was eight, and in real second grade, I began to learn writing in cursive. Again I felt frustrated in having a longer name. And the cursive writing was not pretty. My S looked like a duck, my capital G reminded me of a ship’s sail and my P looked more like an S. Why do we have to be subjected to such hardships? To think now I write more using a keyboard than a pen. And my penmanship is still a mess.
One day my father told me how I got my name. He showed me a book he bought from a booksale. My name came from a short story written by Maurice Walsh entitled “The Quiet Man.” The lead charcter’s name was Shawn, his last name was Kelvin. The first time I read it, I just vaguely got the plot. But I read it again and again and asked my father to explain it to me. After that I fancied to be like the lead character, Shawn Kelvin, the last of the Kelvins. A quiet man who avoids confrontation. But when it came to a point for him to either loose his wife or fight, he ends up beating a bully almost twice his size and weight.
As much as I fancy myself being a quite, mysterious man who has a nice story to back up his fighting prowess, and use it and act as a knight in a shining armour for her damsel in distress, it is just not me. I am quite the opposite. So thank you Maurice Walsh for the name. It is nice to know that there are to Shawn Kelvins with conflicting personalities.
We lost the book which contains the story and all of my father’s book collections when a big flood came through out town. I thought I will never read the story again as an adult. My girlfriend knows the story of my name. In 2004 she found the short story in the internet. It was one of the most pleasant surprises for me. I read the story a number of times back then.
Recently, I tried to learn more about it. I found the story, written in 1930s. Here is a link:
http://www.apex.net.au/~mhumphry/QManSEP.html
What is more surprising was that the story was adapted into a movie in 1953 which starred John Wayne. I know better than to compare myself with John Wayne but I enjoyed the movie more than I expected in an old film.
Well. My name got a nice history don’t you think?
Filed under: childhood memories | Leave a Comment
Tags: childhood memories, name, name origin
No Responses Yet to “Writing my name”