My Name is Karen!
Hello! My name is Karen! Yes, I’m a Karen. But I’m not the kind that has been “nomenclated” around in pop culture these days - at least I hope not!
Once I was at a restaurant waiting to be seated. We were told there were no tables and we would have to wait. But, then several other parties came in and got seated- and this was not the reservation taking type of restaurant. After about 20 minutes I approached the hostess. She was not particularly helpful and asked me if I’d like to speak to the manager. She then innocently asked, “What’s your name?” I said, “Nevermind,” and quietly sulked back to my waiting spot. Since that time, I’ve seriously thought about changing my name but at 58 years of age this seems a bit ridiculous. Perhaps I will have a mystical experience and be called to change my name like Saul to Paul in the Bible, or Ron Artest to Metta World Peace in the NBA.
Having been born in the 60s and growing up into the 70s - there were a lot of Karens around. Once, I belonged to an organization where they told me I was the 7th Karen to join! Karen was the number 4 most popular name with the mothers of us baby boomers in the early 1960s. I was actually born the last year of the baby boomer generation, 1964. My husband, who was born in 1965, loves to proudly state that he is a “baby buster” - this is the term describing Gen-Xers before the trendy “Gen-plus letter of the alphabet” titles came about…. Gen X, Gen Z, and now Gen Alpha. Before I called him out on this, he loved to say things like, “People in your generation” and “OK boomer!” In fact, we are only 7 months apart so the likelihood of us being in different generations is hard to swallow. By allowing him to be my partner in life, he has fulfilled his adolescent dream from the Bellamy Brothers that “Older women make beautiful lovers!” Lol.
Traditionally, Karen means “pure.” It is Scandinavian in origin and interestingly enough, the Danish form of Karen is Katherine - which is my sister’s name. When she married Tom, he donned her Kate - would that I could have been so lucky. I’ve had a few nicknames over the years but none with a professional or “adult” ring to them. My youngest daughter started calling me “Mama Fun” when she was in high school. My oldest son informed me that this was fitting because when he was younger and we had a day off from school, apparently I’d often answer the question “What are we doing today?” with “I don’t know but whatever we do it will be fun!” This was quite prophetic because a few years later I discovered my Enneagram type (7 - The Enthusiast). In my late 40’s I discovered Pride and Prejudice and began to embrace my middle name - Elizabeth - after Austen’s main character. I joked that if I were to ever become a rapper I could go by “K-Liz.” One time I did one of those internet quizzes that names you based on random factors like your middle name and street name - I got Lizzie Rose - which I actually love and have offered to my middle daughter (who is also an Elizabeth) to use for a future grandchild’s name.
Practicing love, kindness, and mindfulness has been one of the main ways I’ve found to counter the negativity of my name by disproving that not all Karens are pejorative complainers. After all, we all have the potential to be the worst versions of ourselves. As I grow in years and hopefully wisdom, I bask in the fact that there is a higher being within me who has formed me, and continually forgives me, loves me, and roots for me to be my true and good self - the best version of me that I can be.
Perhaps my mystical renaming will be conjoining the true meaning of my name with my actual name and I can go by Kapure, or Purkaren, or Kametta World Peace.