Friday, August 04, 2000

Jedidiah

I went to the bookstore Wednesday desperate for a copy of the second book in the Harry Potter series (yes, I have succumbed to the hype and am now immersed in Hogwarts demimonde). The handsome young man who rang up my purchase was named Jedidiah. It was spelled out, in full, on his nametag, not just Jed but Jedidiah. I didn't realize that people still named their children Jedidiah, and I'm thrilled that they do.

I love "old-fashioned" names like Jedidiah. They stand out in a world of Johns and Michaels, and they will certainly be distinctive in the post-90s horror that will present us with a generation of Britneys. I'm sad that I will be made to think twice about naming my son Courtney, after my mother's brother, because it is now considered a girl's name. I wish that my friend Michael went by his middle name, Isadore, so I could get away with calling him "Izzy".

I'm not in the habit of having immediately intimate, personal conversations with sales clerks, but I asked Jedidiah about his name. Turns out it was the name of a maternal great-grandfather, pressed back into the service for the family's youngest male child. He seldom goes by Jed. He likes the name, a lot. I do too.

I also like his home phone number. It has a lot of sevens in it.