Die Namen

“ “Must a name mean something?” Alice asked doubtfully. “Of course it must,” Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh…”

- Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass, ch. VI, Macmillan (1872)

I like names. People names, place names, thing names. Names can be fun. I also tend to fall on the side with Humpty and agree that a name must mean something. My screen names mean something. The one I use for eBay™ and this site, 'fuzzybear,' has a direct correlation to the fact that I am fuzzy and give great bear hugs. OK, fine, the Mrs. gave the nickname to me because I did a decent Fozzy Bear impersonation (or was it because I am hairy and have the temperament of a bear?), and I used it for a screen name. Still, it means something, as most nicknames do. In a moment of random, chaotic thought I reflected upon the name of this project. "One Room At A Time." By definition, the name is fairly straightforward. I have discussed the intent of the project in other posts, so I won't bore everyone with redundant information. The origin of the name, however, is interesting.

It is not like I came up with something original. The whole "One [fill in the blank] At A Time" is a familiar convention. There is "One Day At A Time," a phrase useful for therapeutic environs and friends of Bill W. We have the name "One Thing At A Time" for people who are multitask challenged, or for those individuals who have interesting eating habits. "One Person At A Time" is a name given to a useful management tool for teachers. Just with these three examples, it is easy to see how "One Room At A Time" befits a personal therapy process for an addictive obsessive/compulsive personality type. Ahem. Then there is the nickname for the project. "1RAT."

Think about it. There is the whole " I am just one person in the rat-race called life." Or "just another one of those pack-rats." Or "you, for one, are a vicious little rat." Or "first, if you don't take care of this stuff, we'll get rats."

You know, I think I now know why I have taken to calling the project "One Room" for short.