My Name Vignette (By William)

My name has much cultural significance, stately and broad. Yes, William has much meaning. In English, my name means valiant protector. In German, my name means helmet of will. My middle name means good goals and prosperous. It is the quiet murmur of books in a calm, balmy evening. I have inherited my family’s name through many generations of hard work and endurance. I share my first name with many great historical figures like Prince William and William the Conqueror. My name was picked because of its meaning, positive connotation, and spirit. I do indeed like my title and the way it sounds. This part of the credit goes to my parents for giving me a good name.

In school, my name is muttered soothing and tranquil like a creek. But there is a stall-something rotten buried underneath the pronunciation. William is supposed to be quick and fluid. Instead, some of my classmates hold on to the 2nd I in my name. This results in making my name sound scalding to the ear, no longer peaceful. 

I hate knowing that William in English and German means to be strong, and sometimes aggressive. I don’t like it when somebody remarks, “You’re a boy, right? Be a man, sit up, and be strong.” I am a valiant protector like the name states, but not an aggressor. I am not like William The Conqueror (Bastard). I am not violent. I do not go around assaulting people that would otherwise be allies. I hear teachers and mentors saying, “It is okay to cry.” I scarcely hear that stated to me. I am not allowed to show my weak points to others. People expect me to be athletic.  Instead, I am logical and artistic. I love my name and will never change it. William is the perfect name for me. I would like to alter the definition though. William shouldn’t mean strong or aggressive. William should be more artistic and protective like William Shakespeare. I think William should mean empathy, like the doctors in hospitals who risk their well-being, save lives, and who can sense the feelings of patients. Yes, that is who I want to be. William should mean empathy.