hamburger

Throughout my childhood, I always had a fondness for my last name.  While other kids were uttering mouthfuls of "Schumaker" and "Humperdink", and learning to spell complexities like "Vanderplow", I was grateful for "Logan".  It was simple and made for easy new school introductions throughout our repeated transfers all over the Midwest during my young days.

I remember being thankful for that name and feeling that I was lucky to have it.  I even thought ahead about what an atrocity it would be to marry someone with a complicated or silly name someday.  Out of nowhere, the name "Hamburger" stuck in my mind.  Oh, the hilarious horror of becoming "Molly Hamburger" in the future!  I didn't obsess about it or anything, it just made me laugh.  Of course, this was before I walked into Mr. Brandon's sophomore English class and met the man of my dreams.  But that's another story.

"Hamburger" made me chuckle all through the years as I imagined myself or my friends with this silly surname down the line.  And as my life unfolded, I was relieved when my knight in shinning armor came attached to "Anderson"; just about as good as "Logan", if you ask me.  Still, I couldn't totally part with my maiden name, so I took it as my middle name to avoid being Molly ANNE ANderson.  And, admittedly, to hang on to it a little bit longer.  We then went on to name our firstborn daughter, Logan, too.  Lots of "Logan" for me.

But my personal penchant for "Hamburger" made a resurgence when I had a new young audience to entertain and I soon began telling my kids what a funny name I thought it was.  "What if you marry someone with the last name Hamburger?" I joke with my kids.  They laugh.  They think it's just as funny as I do.

Last night, while driving to gymnastics drop off and then to a baseball game, the kids were having a usual raucous discussion, this time about great movies.  One of our favorites, The Princess Bride, came up.  Logan was so adorably preteen sweet when she asked, "What's the only thing the farm boy says to her?"

"As you wish," I said and thought, I just love that.

And Logan said, "Oh yeah, I love that!" 

Then Riley asked, "What's that guy's name again?"

"I think it's Prince Humperdink," I answered.

And all three shouted, "Hamburger!  What if his last name was Hamburger?!"  Frenetic laughter broke out in the backseat.

And I laughed, too.  Hard.  It's nice to know these three kids really get me and that I'm leaving my mark on them, even if only via my bizarre history with the word "Hamburger."