name tag baggage

i hate name tags. . . well not the idea of name tags or name tags themselves. . . i hate the placement of name tags - always have.

i remember one of the first times i had to wear one as a kid. i was a visitor at a Sunday School and they gave me a very cool looking name tag and told me to put it right where i would place my hand when saying the Pledge of Allegiance - over my heart.

i thought that was weird.

i thought the palm of my left hand would be a much better place. i could just wave "hi" and flash my name at the same time. if i wanted to answer the sure-to-be-coming bible story questions - the teacher would see my name tag on my raised hand and call me by name - i would just have to remember to raise my left hand instead of my usual right.

i took too long thinking about where to place the name tag so the teacher did it for me.

it didn't take too long for my name tag to find its way to my left hand. as soon as that was noticed, the teacher carefully put it back where it belonged.

soon the name tag was on my right hand and even sooner - it was back - plastered to my chest.

i looked at the teacher. she looked at me. i nodded in acknowledgment that this was over. she smiled acknowledging that i was now acknowledging the correct placement of said name tag.

and then my name tag mysteriously disappeared. "we" looked for it on the floor, under the table, in my bible (i would never have desecrated my bible by sticking a name tag to one of its pages), and under my chair. but it was gone.

but it really wasn't a problem.

the teacher had my name memorized the second time she had to help my name tag find it's way back to it's spot. the other girls in my class remembered my name too.

the teacher made a point of meeting my parents. she told them about the name tag.

on the way home they asked me about it and i tried very hard not to lie while peeling it off the bottom of my left shoe.

as a kid i thought the over-heart-placement was dumb. as an adult i think it is even dumber.

i like the idea of small name tags worn on our foreheads. i only get to know what your name is should i choose to talk to you or you choose to talk to me. i can look at your forehead and then your eyes and engage in meaningful conversation.

and isn't that the point. . .