Baring My Soul

courtesy of The Topics Blog

In the sections that follow I will bare my soul by answering some of the posts I've found on The Topics Blog. I encourage you to check it out and do the same.

• Part 1 - Remembering Important Dates
• Part 2 - 15 Minutes (Or More) Of Fame
• Part 3 - Naming Rights
• Part 4 - Children's Naming Rights
• Part 5 - Je Parles Francais

Baring My Soul, Part 1 - Remembering Important Dates

Jenny M wonders if we remember important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries, how we remember, and whether we've ever gotten into trouble for not remembering.

I am inconsistent in remembering important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries. Sometimes I've used my planner to keep track of these important dates, but when it comes to actually sending cards, etc., I am terrible. I cannot remember the last Mother's Day, Father's Day, Anniversary, or Birthday card I've mailed. I am better at making phone calls to people, however. Yet I can remember those dates for my wife, my daughter, and me.

Note to self: Jennie's birthday is coming up at the end of October.

Baring My Soul, Part 2 - 15 Minutes (Or More) Of Fame

Dan Johnson (who's that?) asks, "Have you ever been on television or in the newspaper? More than once? What for?"

As a child I was on "The Uncle Al Show," a local kids television show in Cincinnati.

This past Christmas, Jennie, Keisha, and I were on the local news in Dayton, as part of a story about meeting a Santa Claus who signs for deaf and hard-of-hearing people.

In 1993, I worked for the Salvation Army during their Christmastime Kettle Drive. Instead of ringing a bell, I played Christmas carols on my alto saxophone. This greatly cheered up the cashiers at the Kroger where I collected donations. They especially enjoyed my rendition of "O Holy Night." The Cincinnati Enquirer did a story about how donations were down, and they contacted the Salvation Army to find someone who demonstrated a lot of Christmas spirit. The Commander sent the photographer to me. On Christmas Eve 1993, I was on the front page of the Cincinnati Enquirer!

In 1999 we and another family in Middletown went to Middfest, a cross-cultural celebration that takes place each October in Middletown, Ohio, where we lived. We had a great time, listening to the ethnic music. My daughter Keisha and our friends' daughter Rachel, both wore overalls that day. As the music played, I'd pick them up by the back of their overalls and swing them around. They enjoyed that a lot, and it got the attention of the news photographer. So, the next day, October 6th, there we all were, on the front page: I swinging both the girls at the same time.

Baring My Soul, Part 3 - Naming Rights

Erin (air-in) would like to know if I was named after another person and why:

When I was born, apparently my Dad wanted to name me Tyrone Hadley. Fortunately for me, my mom saw me first, and she chose instead to name me after my Dad. This turned out to be a great choice because it made him even more proud. My full name is Daniel Allen Johnson, Jr. Both my dad and I attended the University of Cincinnati's College of Engineering, and there were actually some times when I got his mail and he got mine. Since then, I've always made sure to use the "Jr." when I sign my name, etc.

Baring My Soul, Part 4: Children's Naming Rights

Erica inquires about the names we give our children, why we chose them, and so on.

We have only one child: our daughter Keisha Renee. No one in our family has that name. My maternal grandmother's name was Loraine, but we thought - especially after consulting my wife - that Keisha Loraine was not a good idea - punny, but not the best choice (Ever heard of Quiche Lorraine?). Actually, the name Keisha Renee just came to me one day. It sounded beautiful. Some time after she was born I looked both names up in a baby name book. "Keisha" is derived from the same African-American word that means "newly created." "Renee" is French for "reborn." Hence, we've considered her name an inspiration from God: She was our "newly-created" child, and our desire is for her, when she gets old enough to make the decision to follow God for the rest of her life, that she will be "reborn."

God has not yet allowed us to have any more children, but if we could have a son, we would name him Caleb William. We like "Caleb" because it means "faithful," after the man in the Old Testament with the same name. William was my father-in-law's name.

Baring My Soul, Part 5 - Je Parles Francais

Erica wants to know if I can communicate in another language besides English and to try writing an entire post on my blog in that foreign language. Since I cannot post in sign language, I might as well attempt in French. Here goes:

Bonjour, mon nom est Daniel Johnson. J'étais né dans Cincinnati, Ohio. J'actuellement habite dans Dayton, Ohio avec ma femme et ma fille. Nous avons un chien qui a nommé Jake. Keisha a cinq ans, et elle est beaucoup le regarder en avant à l'aller à l'école. Me, je ne travaille pas maintenant. Ce Juin, j'ai perdu mon travail. Je suis en train du trouver l'autre travail. Je suis programmeur.

Pouvez-vous me comprendre? Si non, alors vous pouvez utiliser le website au "Freetranslation.com" traduire mon mots. S'il vous plaît me permettre de sait que vous pensez il.

Merçi beaucoup.