What's in a name?
- From: TomBuoyed@xxxxxxx
- To: ConstellationTalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2005 17:30:05 EST
John Payne wrote:
_______________
Tom,
Whilst i value all the different opinions expressed here, i can't help but
take exception to you using disrespectful nick names to describe Berty
Hellinger. We may not all agree with everything he says, but he is due a
little more
respect than to be called silly names.
John,
I must congratulate you on your superb dry wit! In fact, it is so
wonderfully deadpan and dry that it took me a few minutes to realize that the
joke is
on me. Here you had me feeling all guilty and embarrassed about calling Herr
Hellinger by these disrespectful silly names and then you go ahead and call
him by the cute and (wouldn't you agree?) silly nickname of "Berty." Touche'
for you, John. My hat is off to you in admiration of your subtle wit.
As for the nickname that I used, which you deemed so disrespectful, I assume
you refer to my reference to Bert as "Suitbert." You may find it hard to
believe, but here I intend the highest respect toward Herr Hellinger because
Suitbert is the religious name given to Anton Hellinger, given when Anton was
ordained to the priesthood of the Marian order in 1952.
All priests, brothers and nuns in the Catholic faith are given saint's names
when they are ordained or invested. The name that Anton Hellinger chose, was
that of Saint Suitbert, a late 7th century saint born in England, who died
in 713 AD in a town near present day Dusseldorf. St. Suitbert happens to be
designated by the Catholic Church as the patron saint of those suffering with
"angina pectoris," the condition that caused the death of my mother Evelyn in
1988. Yes, she died literally and systemically, of a broken heart.
So the cosmic coincidence is not lost on me that the very sacred name of
Saint Suitbert would belong to the man who is singularly responsible for my
beginning to heal the deep and dark entanglements of my own family system. To
him
I owe the greatest of respect and gratitude, and my way of honoring him and
my mother, is to call him by his religious name of "Suitbert."
Of course, the sacred demands the court jester appear, and John, I feel very
elated that you have provided me with an even cuter and sillier nickname for
Suitbert, by calling him Berty. Hmmm, you don't mind if I play around with
variations of your pet name now, do you? I know you intend no disrespect to
Suitbert, John, and so I will now consider you a role model in my quest for
the
ever more engaging and playful nickname.
Uncle Berty? Berty-Werty? Oh, well, I'm sure a little birdie will whisper
new ones to me later. And I'll always credit you, John, when the names get
coined.
On a final note for "what's in a name?" consider the awful trouble Suitbert
might be in today if, instead of going by the nickname Bert, he used the
first name given him at his baptism, Anton.
I mean he has enough trouble in Germany as it is -- with being seen as
sympathetic toward Hitler. Imagine the public row that would develop if Bert
went
by Anton, thus giving him the very same initials as the erstwhile Adolf
Schickelgruber.
Thomas
Other related posts:
- » What's in a name? - TomBuoyed
