“Hello, my name is Persiphany Vanderbilt. I know my name is strange, but I didn’t choose it. You ever think about that? You know, how a name is the second gift you get in this world… The first, of course, is birth. And sometimes I wonder if I’d be any different if my name were something ordinary, like ‘Susan’. I’d be Susan Vanderbilt, and I’m almost certain that I’d have ram-rod straight blond hair and my grandmother’s crooked nose.
No matter how much a person hates their name, it really isn’t theirs to hate. After all, you don’t own your name, do you? Well, I suppose one does, but not really. It’s like I said, it’s a gift…you must accept it gratefully.” Persiphany caught the perspiration on the glass with her finger and smiled at her date. Strangely, he seemed a bit exasperated.