What's in a name?

The first year at a new school, it's never you. And you KNOW that- you don't know anyone, so why should they know you? Still, every time, you can't help but turn around.
"Jenni!"
Nope. Not you. The other one. Always. So you end up looking like an over-eager fool every day. The only place you're guaranteed that someone is calling YOU is in your own home. And even there, you get called by other things. Nicknames, sibling's names, names of beloved pets...But at least you know it's you, unlike the uncertain new stomping grounds that you are forced to attend from 8:15 to 3:10 every day. 5 days a week, almost 7 hours a day of this confusion.
And then one day, you make a friend at school. That's the way it works, isn't it? I've been to a few new schools in my lifetime, and this is how things usually play out:
You get there, you walk around awkwardly repeating 15,607,698,705 times a day who you are and where you came from (knowing, of course, that most people won't remember) for about the first week, give or take a few days.
Suddenly, one person singles you out. They're that heaven-sent kid who won't leave you alone and is bound and determined to help you fit in. God bless those kids. They're like the biblical "man of peace" who you're supposed to find to help you get integrated into a community whenever you're trying to evangelize. They introduce you to their friends, pull up that extra chair at the lunch table, save you a seat in assemblies. And suddenly, a few people know your name. Every once in a while, when you turn around, it really IS you that someone is calling. Eventually, the correct assumptions come closer and closer together, until you've learned to distinguish which voices call your name and mean YOU. You can turn around to answer with certainty, and it's a good feeling. In fact, it's a great feeling.
See, there's something so wonderful about being known and being called by your name. My brother was the first person to really bring this truth to light in my mind. He knows a lot of people, and I mean a lot. Whenever we go places together, I've just come to accept the fact that we will see at least 2 or 3 people that he knows. But no matter how many people we see, he always knows their name, and every time he calls them by it, their face lights up.
"People like to hear their own name, Jen. It shows them you really do remember them. It's endearing," he said to me. That was a few years ago, but it made a big impression on me.
He's right. I know from experience, and so do you. That person who calls you by your name, even if you've only met once- they know YOU, they remember YOU, and they think YOU'RE important enough to remember.
It's a good way to make friends and influence people, as my mom would say. It's really not that hard to do, and it makes people feel so good. The new kid at school or church, the woman who checks you out at the grocery store, your lunch lady, someone who helps you find what you're looking for at the mall, your neighbors...just take the time to invest a little bit in them.
The look on their faces will be worth it.