What's in a name?
Sat shri akal!
My sweet granddaughter is making me puzzled. The only turbanned sikh she knows is my dear friend A.Singh.
So when she grasps the little picture of the blessing Guru Nanak next to my bed, she says:
- "Amar-jeet!"
- "Nei, nei, this is Guru Nanak."
- "Amar-jeet"
But she does not want to change her idea, that every turbanned man is Amarjeet Singh.
-" Amarjeet looks like Guru Nanak, yes?
-" Amar-jeet"
So i gave up, she is not even two years old and after all this is a painting. An impression of some artist. So what's in a name?
But it feels a little uneasy anyhow...
My sweet granddaughter is making me puzzled. The only turbanned sikh she knows is my dear friend A.Singh.
So when she grasps the little picture of the blessing Guru Nanak next to my bed, she says:
- "Amar-jeet!"
- "Nei, nei, this is Guru Nanak."
- "Amar-jeet"
But she does not want to change her idea, that every turbanned man is Amarjeet Singh.
-" Amarjeet looks like Guru Nanak, yes?
-" Amar-jeet"
So i gave up, she is not even two years old and after all this is a painting. An impression of some artist. So what's in a name?
But it feels a little uneasy anyhow...
posted by manpreet kaur at Monday, February 20, 2006
2 Comments:
Quite a thought. I never thought that that could be a problem - considering that India and Canada are full of turbaned Sikhs. Maybe in an year or so you'll be able to explain that most of the Sikhs wear turbans and maybe her father can wear it one day. She won't be able to call him Amarjeet :) This might help!
Satnam Waheguru!
Sat Shri Akal!
Dear Sikhi Seeker
Last Saturday my granddaughter and her father (my youngest son) were on the market. Some sikhs have marketstalls.
She shouted: "Amarjeet, Amarjeet"
My son explained to her, that not all the turbanned men were called Amarjeet (though there are a lot of Amarjeets here!)
Then he turned around and there was Amarjeet, completely happy because my little princess recognised to him. So she was right!
One day she will of course understand, she will see more sikhs.
Too bad (it really is my greatest sadness) my children are not religious, so the chances of her father wearing a turban are very small.
And even fathers and mothers (like uncles and aunties) are sometimes referred to with their christian names. I know this sounds very un-indian, but as long as there is mutual respect, i can live with that.
Oh, my little princess is still discovering the world...
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