(Re)Becca: What's in a Name?

My origin story of trying to re-everything.

The Joke

It’s been just over a year since one of my best, oldest and, dearest friend’s father, John, died.

He was the guy you knew was in the room from the moment you stepped across the threshold and he was the source of inspiration for the name of my freelance company [(Re)Becca: Content, Reimagined], which is based on a 22- year-long inside joke.

Growing up, John had this habit of bestowing silly nicknames upon his daughter’s friends and I was no exception.

It was a combination of making us feel special and a little embarrassed (if you were shy like me) all at once.

He used to bellow “REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM” whenever I came to the house, which was very often in our elementary, middle school and high school days, and less frequent once we moved away for college.

Regardless of the frequency or time between my visits, he always followed up his bellow with the same joke, without fail:

“Re-becca? What happened to the first Becca? Did your parents not like the first Becca, so they had to Re-becca you?” And he would laugh and laugh at his own cleverness.

As I got older I learned to laugh along with the joke that used to make my eyes roll. Because it was our thing. And there are so many more levels to his joke—silly and otherwise—as I reflect more than twenty years later.

Revise, Reinvent, Reexamine, Repeat

I realize now how appropriate and relevant this philosophy of "re" has become in my life.

For me, it speaks to change, reinvention, and starting over. The prefix “re” is Latin and it literally means “again” or further “again and again.”

Without getting too in-depth, my faith and beliefs have ebbed, flowed, and changed over the years, and it's an area where I am constantly re-examining and reevaluating my views based on new information; but there is one thing I have held onto—timing.

I am a strong believer in timing.

Bad timing, good timing, timing that feels ironic. And in the last category, John passed away last year—the details of which are not my story to share—but it also has roots in timing and it has affected me greatly because of my massive love for his daughter and the rest of his family. Further, I have felt this invisible nudge this whole year to start writing for myself again, and I thought--what better place and better time to start?

I have come to love this inside joke because to me the concept of reinvention does not have an expiration date. It’s never too late to be a better version of yourself or to create opportunities that once seemed impossible.

re- a prefix, occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, used with the meaning “again” or “again and again”

On a personal level, I have switched careers a few times over the past five years or so. From teacher to baker and business owner, to freelance writer, and hopefully someday soon, to full-time writer (in some capacity or another).

And although it can be frustrating while in the thick of it, I am always thankful after the fact, for the chance to revise my story, again and again, until I'm satisfied with the results.

This concept of reinvention also feels particularly relevant to the times we are living through right now where the future seems so uncertain.

This year (2020) has unfolded with one challenge and then another and then another. And then yet another. A global pandemic (COVID-19), racial injustices reaching a boiling point, which has lead to the call for police reform, massive fires (in Australia and my home state of Arizona among others), Kanye West just announcing he's running for president (really wish I was joking about this one), etc.

And we are being forced to re-assess our values and some of the systems (including our political system) that are extremely outdated and benefit only a small cross-section of the population. If there was ever a time to reflect and revamp, it's now.

I’ll probably never stop re-writing or re-inventing in small ways and large, because that’s just how I’m wired; I believe there are always ways to do better and be better. For this, I may be labeled as a little naive, but I'm far too young to be that cynical (and honestly so are you).

Still, I hope the same thing for this country, because there is a young generation that is not afraid to get our hands dirty while we reinvent our world for a better future. For the nieces and nephews that I do have, and the kids I may have one day.

So, I'll leave you all with the question that I've had on my mind of late:

At what age do you think you will stop learning and trying to improve yourself and ways of thinking?

I'm hoping your answer is: not yet.

Or better yet, never.

~~~