A story behind my name
2018, February 24th I am running aimlessly with a google map on my phone in the streets of the Poznan University of Technology campus area. It's my first day in my Master's class. I arrived in Poland just a day before. Everything is completely new to me. After 30 minutes of going back and forth finally, I found my classroom.
The class has already started. I saw a professor probably in his late sixties standing with a bit curious look at me. "Welcome," he said, I was feeling a bit embarrassed coming so late to my first day of master’s class, he added “as we all finished our introduction could you please introduce yourself? I waved at everyone and said Hi everyone my name is STALIN ... "Is that STALIN you said?" The professor didn't let me finish my whole name, I said yes professor. He continued “May I ask who named you that?” I replied “my father”.
My father was quite young when I was born. So he and some of his friends started looking for a cool name for his son, he looked at so many books and dictionaries and found the Russian word “Stalin” which translates as "Man of steel". How cool that would be if I named my son "Man of Steel" my father told himself. The professor burst into laughter and said, “well, nice to meet you Mr. Man of steel have a seat please.”
If you have no clue why my Professor was so astonished to hear my first name then let me introduce the Stalin who is very notorious in Europe, especially in Poland. His full name was Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin. He was a Georgia-born soviet leader, dictator to be precise. Regarding popularity, probably more people hate him than love him but one thing is sure, he was feared by a lot of people due to his cruelty.
So you can guess that having such a name that has a bad history in the country you are living in is not rewarding. Actually, it’s quite opposite. Back in 1993 internet was still at its primary stage. Even smartphones would have seemed like alien tech during that time. So my parents were completely unaware of the situation here.
Though people react very weirdly hearing my name on the first meeting, the best thing about my name is they never forget it. It’s also a good conversation starter. For example, whenever I’m in a situation where someone is introducing me, the next thing that comes from the new guy’s mouth is “really your name is Stalin?” and then I usually tell them the hilarious story of my dad at his young fatherhood.
The most important realization I have come across all these days in Poland is that, we are not defined by what our names are but by what we do. Maybe the other Stalin had a bad history but that doesn’t mean that sharing the same name will make me the same person. It’s me and only my doing that defines what I am. I’m glad I got a chance to redefine the name throughout my life.
…The End…
