EditoR's NoTe

BUBARU®

The Beauty of All-Wheel Drive®.
y outback
legac wagon

Just Don't Call
Him 'Mitzi'

•

T

and Henry, but I like the new ones,
here are so many profound,
too, like Jada (as in Jada Pinkett
eternal questions to consider,
Smith, the actress).
but one I don't spend much time
When our son was born, my hus-
contemplating is, "What's in a
band and I named him after Phil's
name?" I already know — the chal-
late father. I see a great many odd
lenges, the confusion.
variations on names
I have gone through many
("Rachel is named in loving
changes in my 40 years.
memory of her grandfa-
When I was little my mother
thers, Moshe and Bud"),
called me "Beth," after her
but I didn't want that. Phil's
favorite character in Little
Women. When I was 6,
father was Yitzhak Natan,
and our boy is, amazingly
she says, I insisted on being
enough, Yitzhak Natan.
called "Betsy." For a brief
Yitz was born around the.
while it was "Liz," then there
signing of the peace accords in
came a time when I wanted to alter it
Israel, so I was optimistic: Yitzhak
altogether (but no matter how much
Rabin was all over the news, so sure-
you beg I won't tell you to what: It's
!
ly
people would have no trouble with
just too embarrassing).
our boy% name.
For the past 25 years it has pretty
Right.
much been just Elizabeth, or for the
Since his birth, Yitz has endured
past 6 years, Mommy.
being
called Yitz-chalk and Yitz-haw
My brother's name is Avrum, and
and Yitz-rock. He has a lot of
he has been teased about it all of
patience, though he has his limits.
his life. My family lived in a small
"Don't call me 'Yitzi,"' he'll say
Missouri town where no one had
firmly.
even heard of such a name. He
I expect Yitz will have days when
was called everything from Ovum
he'll wonder, "Why did my parents
to Avon to Ervin to Avoom — and
do this to me?" But at the same time
never with more pleasure than by
I'm confident he'll feel more comfort-
his two sisters, who delighted
able as he grows older and as he
ceaselessly in repeating, ad nause-
comes to understand not only the bib- .
am, each and every one of the mis-
lical connection to his name but the
pronunciations.
familial one, as well. For the grandfa-
"When I have a boy I'm going to
ther for whom Yitzhak was named
name him Bob," Avrum used to say.
was most certainly named for another'
But recently I visited with Av and
before him, and he before him, and
he has rethought that idea. In the
he before him and so on and so on
I past 30 years, he says, Americans
weaving each together — from ages
seem much more amenable to-eth-
ago to the present — in a neverend-
I nicity.
ing tapestry of all our lives. ❑
Witness the increasing numbers of
Hollywood and sports stars who
have anything but typical names;
clearly it hasn't hurt them. I like this
Elizabeth Applebaum
originality. There are some traditional
AppleTree
Editor
1 names I still love, like Laura and Rose

Nicely equipped to include: automatic
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floor mats, fog lights, luggage rack and
much more. Plus... All Wheel Drive.

J289 $2205

PER MONTH

DUE AT INCEPTION
(Includes $325 refundable
security deposit)

36 months

I

DWYER

•NDSONS

VOLVO/ SUBARU

Since 1959

(248) 6

3055 W. Maple Rd. (west of Haggerty), Commerce Twp. 48390

'36 month closed end lease. $2205 due at inception includes $325 refundable
security deposit plus applicable tax and plates. Offer ends 7-24-98.

o r

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fax: (2 48)583-1305

31051 stephenson hwy
madison heights, mi 48071

under new ownership

7/10
1998

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