More Carswell, More Criticism

I was rarely called Olivia as a child, it was often “Natalie and Olivia” or “the twins.” It has been tough striving to be an individual when you have involuntarily been given a second name to be called by. My entire life has consisted of my identity being mistaken, mixed up, and misguided. As I reached my teenage years, I wanted more and more to be known as myself and not just a package deal. I joined clubs. I participated in sports. I made new friends. I tried anything I could to stand out as myself. From bickering over wearing “too similar” outfits to dying my hair a shockingly bright pink(with some regrets), I made desperate attempts throughout my years of middle and high school to be different from my sister. And in the end, hardly any of it ever prevented getting a painful “Hey Natalie” in the hallway.

What is in a name? Writer Milan Kundera says, “We don’t know when our name came into being or how some distant ancestor acquired it. We don’t understand our name at all, we don’t know its history and yet we bear it with exalted fidelity, we merge with it, we like it, we are ridiculously proud of it as if we had thought it up ourselves in a moment of brilliant inspiration.” (goodreads) Before I began my research, I already knew why my mother named me Sarah, but I did not know anything about my middle and surname. I always desired to find out when it comes to my family, why although my surname is Hampton I am not related to anybody else with that same surname besides my Father’s sisters and brothers. To proceed in the research of my first name, I had to look for information on the (Behind the Name) site, (Biography) site, The Name Book, and administer an interview with my Mother. Next, I searched the (seven reflections) site, and held another interview with my

You will be elated when it is time for you to walk across the stage in a few years. You are setting an example for your sibling to continue their education. What a great trend this will be for your family.

Why is it only boys who are named after their father and called “Senior,” “Junior” and so on? Why not girls? Couldn’t a girl be named after her father? And more oddly, why aren’t girls named after their mother?” Other than the fact that I consider naming a child after oneself slightly pretentious, I believe that it also lessens a person’s self-identity, because not only do you share something that is meant to be unique (as one can be in a world of seven billion people), but you also have to live with expectations and responsibilities that come with the name.

Many people don’t understand how strong a connection between twins or brothers can be, I’m a good example. My sister is two years younger than I, even tho we were always together and my mom also dress us with the exact same thing, we were so close and now we actually try not to talk to each other. When I was in elementary school, I ge into an orchestra to learn how to play

Having siblings can be both a good thing and bad thing. In “Seven Ways Your Siblings May Have Shaped You” By Lindsay Lyon the article was about different situations that I or anyone of us may have experienced when having a sibling in life. “How Our Siblings Shape Us” by Naomi Schaefer Riley is about both the good and bad things about having a sibling and what I or you might or may have experienced. Whether you have an older sibling or a younger sibling, scientific facts, as well as personal experience, show that having a sibling can strongly affect you in the long run. Some of the things that can or may strongly affect me, you and your siblings are success, relationships, and rivalries.

A name can say a lot about a person. Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. Most people know me, because of my mother. My mother made our family name popular around the area due to her random acts of kindness. Our family is well known around the town as the family that is supportive, the good example, and the helpful.

Names will always be different for everyone. They all come from a different backstory or a different meaning and my name is no exception. Although my first name doesn’t provide anything interesting about me, I know I have several stories discussing my middle and last name. From all the long and amazing

I have 6 siblings: 5 are older than me and 1 is younger. My oldest sister Aliza is 33 years old. She has 5 children. My brother Shimon has 2 children and one on the way. The rest of my siblings are not married. Tova is 28 years old, Beni is 25 years old, and Karen is 20 years old and serving in the army. Eli is 16, and goes to a boarding school and returns home on the weekend.

Growing up I would see my older brother and sister excel at leadership positions. My brother would always lead in his group projects and had a way with words that showed off his knowledge without being cocky. My sister, similarly, was in almost every club and led a hectic life. From dance competitions, to being the class secretary and organizing fundraisers, being part of the board of the National Honor Society (NHS), and leading community service projects. Due to this, I lived in my siblings’ shadow and was expected to grow up and excel as much as they had, or more.

And when the time came to name his children, my parents decided that all of their children hold the names of Biblical characters. My eldest sister is named Judith after the Biblical character who famously beheaded Holofernes, her captive, in his sleep. The name Judith was chosen for my parents envisioned their first born daughter to be a powerful, resolute individual. My other sister is named Michelle, which derives from the name Miriam. My parents pictured their second daughter to be a more nurturing and caring person. My brother Daniel is named after the biblical figure who was held captive in Babylon up until the time of Cyrus. To see their first born son as a powerful figure was important to my parents, which is why they chose the name Daniel. In the Bible, Benjamin was the youngest of 13, had a large age difference with the rest of his siblings, was a loving and compassionate person and was arguably his father's favorite child. I am the youngest of four, have a fairly large age difference between my three other siblings, the largest being 18 years, I consider myself to be quite compassionate and I am my father’s favorite child. The name could not suit me any better. To give me the name Benjamin seems almost too perfect, as the biblical character and myself align in both in relations to our families and to our own

I have four younger siblings - three sisters and a brother. There is Brianna, age fifteen, Lynn, age fourteen, Elizabeth, age seven, and Andrew, age five. My relationship with my two oldest siblings is quite unique, due to the fact that they were both adopted. I can’t remember the exact date that I first met them, but I was seven years old when the adoption was finalized, while they were four and five. To add to the complexities of the situation, both siblings have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder (FASD). This means that their mental age is approximately half of their physical age - so while currently, they are fourteen and fifteen, mentally, they are both about seven years old. My relationship with my two younger siblings, on the other hand, is very different due to the

Even though youngest siblings always try to do what they can to not be compared to their siblings, being the youngest does not always have perks. We do not get as much attention like our older siblings do and we sometimes do not feel the same love the parents give to their first-born.

As people from a small town can attest, your last name defines you. When a person hears your last name they will make one quick judgment, which will either make or break you. If you had any older siblings, or even parents who grew up in a small community you are already branded. This can be both comforting and scary at the same time.

My sister and I are only a year, two months, and sixteen days apart. Over the years, this made us very close and we developed similar behaviors, often giving the illusion that we are twins. However, when it came to knowledge and experience, our age difference created a fissure that could not be seen but clearly separated us, as she was always ahead in her education, always given more grown-up privileges, and always ahead in physical and mental accomplishments. Even when I attempted the same things she did, my accomplishments were lackluster when compared to hers.