Monday, September 12, 2011

And I remain....

Two years ago, a reader asked what Von for now meant.
At the time, I was not prepared to answer that question.
This being my 500th post, I think it's a good time to try to explain it.

Hi, I'm Yvonne
Before I popped out of VonMom, in her head, I was to be Yvette.
She forgot.
No, I'm not kidding. She found the note in her purse a few days after she had me with Yvette written on it.
"Close enough", she thinks she said. Thank GOD, because I am so not an Yvette.
Though she tried really, really hard to get the world in general to call me EJ (middle name is actually Jae. Cool, for the mid-70s, I guess). It didn't stick. There's one person in my life who calls me EJ to this day, and I call her Sissy even though her name is Diane.  EJ is ok, but like I said, it didn't stick.
VonSis wasn't down with either Yvonne (fyi, pronounced EEEEE-von, and do not fuck it up, or I will killz you) or EJ.  She had her own mind, even at 1 1/2 years old.
She decided on Vonnie.
And it stuck.
From birth to mid high school. I was Vonnie to just about everyone. Even the places I worked.  The Girl Scouts of Chicago organization only knows me as Vonnie.
Yes, I have corrected about nine million people that No, my name is not Bonnie. It's Vonnie. But it became second nature, like breathing.

There started to be variations, after a while: Vonster Monster, Y-von (pronounced Why-von), Y, you get the drill.

Eventually, I met Shannon. She doesn't really like nicknames, and she had a best friend growing up named Yvonne, so I started the slippery slope back to my "given name".
But I was uncomfortable in this Yvonne-skin. 
Yvonne is me at work, when networking, when working at Old Town. Yvonne is very serious and task driven.
Yvonne is NOT me, at least not 100% of the time.

Then I met SIL1X, who has nicknames for just about everyone in her life.  Sure, who she met was Vonnie, but who she named was Von. 
I LOVED Von, pretty much more than I've ever loved a name I'd been given (ok, except for "Tuesday Night", but that's another story for another time).
Von is the social butterfly made of metal. She was a teenage anarchist. She is the music loving, wishing to dye her hair blue to this day, rebel who still owns her black leather motorcycle jacket.  Von, it turns out, is pretty bad ass.
No wonder some people who had been in my life longer than others did not take to Von. Not only did they not take to it, they hated it.  Perhaps Von is not the person they think I am, or want me to be.

So, when I decided to start this whole blogging thing (holy shit, 500 posts ago!), I started thinking about a name.  I didn't want anything trite, lame, bland.
I realized that I am not a still pond.  I am a roiling ocean - ever changing, ever challenging.
As I change, so does my name. As I grow, so does my life.

So there you have it.  I am Von, for now.

And as it is my 500th post - I want to say part of who I am today, mostly the good parts, I thank you all for. Most especially: Jennifer, Mendacious, Zombie, Brando, Becky, BG, K-Unit, Mikey, B4, Snag, Fish, Thunda, my beloved New Zealanders and Mandos. Wicked props to TheMarty and of course Shannon, for showing me this wacky wonderful world of blogging.
Hope you all keep reading, and I'll keep writing.

15 comments:

Mandos said...

What am I, chopped liver? Harrumph. Well, infrequently commenting chopped liver :)

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Mandos, The Hands of Fate.
~

Jennifer said...

A perfect 500th post!!

It was worth waiting for!!! As will be your cake. :)

Vonnie said...

Better chopped liv....um, Mandos?

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

Have you ever considered Vonzie? I mean, you've got the motorcycle jacket... Even your mom would dig it, because it's kinda like 'schatzi'.

Nice 500th post!

WV: Nopie... no pie, but an alien cake!

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

I have been looking for a good recipe for Chopped Mandos.

...umm, for a friend.

Jennifer said...

I have been looking for a good recipe for Chopped Mandos.

LOL

But also kind of creeped out...

M said...

Yay! I'm in Von's 500th post and therefore a person again!!!!1!!!1!

Chopped Mandos: Take one Apple iPad, run it several million times across a kitchen knife sharpener until it is sharp enough to cut diamond. Chop Mandos with sharpened iPad.

Mandos said...

Of course I forgot to sign my own post correctly or rather hit post by accident.

mikey said...

Wow. I started my own first blog fourth of july weekend in 2004. Well over seven years ago. And I've put up less than 600 posts. Guess I understand the difference between me and Yglesias.

Pretty impressive.

Rock on...

fish said...

Since 500 is a good inflection point, I think the blog should be renamed Now for Von.

Smut Clyde said...

We beloved New Zealanders will always be here for you, except of course when we're down at the pub.

Brando said...

Von for Good?

Congratulations on post 500 and for not making it a clip show.

Vonnie said...

Now for Von, and Von for Good.
Love it.
Thanks all!!

Kathleen said...

J is right, a perfect 500th post Von. <3 ya!!