One of your 5 a day?

There were many things I was teased about when I was a child. I was a pale, freckly, tubby, ginger child. As you can imagine, I was given many very unimaginative nicknames based on my apperance. But one redeeming factor was that my name is Hannah. Thankfully, the one nickname that has lasted the distance in to adulthood is Hannah Banana. And I quite like it!

I'm one of those people that get overexcited by seeing something with their name on it. If I see a rack of mugs or keyrings in a gift shop, I will always look for my name. I dont know why.. Oddly enough, I have never bought a 'Hannah' mug or keyring.

I think there is a lot in a name. It is one thing that belongs to you and will identify you in a world you are not even familiar with yet. I enjoy listening to peoples stories on how or why they named their children as they did. I like the thought that the new little person already has an abundance of history behind their name.

I was named after a song by Mary Black called 'Loving Hannah'.
My Dad was in a band before I was born and this was a song they used to play. Its an Irish Folk song. Every so often, maybe on my birthday or at Christmas, my Mom would indulge me in my 'name narcissism' and sing it (beautifully) for me.
Maybe, before I was even born, its lyrics formed my love/hate relationship with tragic and consuming love stories?

Here are the lyrics...

I went to church on Sunday My love, she passed me by I knew her mind was changing By the roving of her eye By the roving of her eye By the roving of her eye I knew her mind was changing By the roving of her eye My love's fair and proper Her waist is neat and small She is quite good-looking And that' s the best of all And that' s the best of all And that' s the best of all And she is quite good-looking And that' s the best of all Oh, Hannah, loving Hannah Come give to me your hand You said that if you're married That I will be the one That I will be the one That I will be the one You said that if you're married That I will be the one I will go down by the river When everyone's asleep I'll think of loving Hannah And then sit down and grieve And then sit down and grieve And then sit down and grieve I'll think of loving Hannah And then sit down and grieve I went to church on Sunday My love she passed me by I knew her mind was changing By the roving of her eye By the roving of her eye By the roving of her eye I knew her mind was changing By the roving of her eye