I have heard the story of my name many times. I remember growing up, I always asked my mom to tell me about the day I was born so I could hear her describe how red my lips were and how my skin looked like it was glowing. She and my father both would beam with joy as they told me how glad they were to have a girl. I have an older brother, so I was the second and last child born in our family. My mom chose not to have any ultrasounds done when she was pregnant with me, so she did not know if I was going to be a boy or girl when I was born. I was a surprise! I've always liked that.

 

Because they didn't know if I was going to be a girl or boy, my parents really hadn't decided what my name would be. According to them, I didn't have a name for a few days. What a scary thought! They bounced around a few ideas. At first, my mother was set on naming me Callie Leah Vines (after two of my great-grandmothers) but after my dad made fun of it, she changed her mind. My mother really wanted to carry on the tradition of Leah as my middle name. Her middle name is Leah, her mother's middle name is Leah, and her mother's first name is Leah. However, my mother said she couldn't figure out a way to make it work. It makes me a little bit sad to think that the tradition wasn't carried on with me. Sometimes I feel left out of the special "Leah Club," especially since I am so much like my mother and grandmother. 

 

By the time we left the hospital, my name ended up being Karen Lauren Vines. My mom's first name is Karen, and she said she had always wanted to name one of her children that also. They decided on Lauren as my middle name because my parents just liked it. However, they never had intentions of calling me Karen. I've been Lauren since the day they named me. I have always questioned why they didn't just name me Lauren Karen, but sometimes I enjoy having to explain my name to other people. That being said, there is ALWAYS confusion around my name. First of all, mine and my mother's initials are the same: KLV (Karen Leah Vines and Karen Lauren Vines). Doctor's offices are constantly getting up mixed up because we have the same name. I've heard this question many times: "Are you 1968 or 1997?" 

 

I love to monogram everything, so when people see the monogrammed name tag on the front of my car they ask, "Wait, what is your first name?" to which I reluctantly reply, "Karen..." Growing up, being named Karen wasn't such a big deal. A lot of people didn't ask about it, and I honestly didn't think too much about it. No one in my family ever called me Karen. I never really started to recognize my first name was Karen until college. I always dreaded the first day of class because four professors a day would say, "Is Karen here?" to which I would slowly raise my hand, hoping no one noticed who Karen was. Having to announce to 30 other people that my name is Karen wasn't the best feeling. Today, the name Karen is associated with soccer moms who have a specific haircut, complain about everything, and ask to speak to the manager. On paper, my name is Karen. In my heart, I am Lauren. 

​

I love that my name is Lauren. I love to write my name in cursive. I love to say my name. I love to hear my name when people speak to me. I think that saying someone's name when you talk to them lets them know that you recognize who they are and it shows that you care. I think my name is beautiful, both written and spoken. I feel like my name matches my personality well. A lot of people have told me throughout my life that I look like a Lauren, and I always take it as a compliment. Most people pronounce my name one of two ways: LAR-EN or LOR-EN. Either way is fine with me, but my name is truly pronounced LAR-EN. That is the one I identify with the most. It is comforting to me when someone uses that pronunciation. 

​

I often wonder about what will happen when I get married and change my name. Will I keep Karen? Will I drop Karen completely and finally become "just Lauren?" Sometimes I wish my name was just Lauren. Even though I like to talk about my name sometimes, I would also like to be recognized as Lauren in unfamiliar settings. But then again, my first name being Karen is a part of who I am, just as much as Lauren is. I have mixed feelings. But I do feel like a lot of good conversations have come out of my name being Karen. Telling the story of my name has allowed others to get to know me better. Some of my close friends have jokes they tell about my name being Karen, but I don't mind. I think it takes just as much love and care to joke with someone as it does to give a compliment.