An Explanation for Amna

Amna...that's a weird name for a blog title. Right?

Yes, maybe. There is a long story behind it. I was born in the late summer of '84. It was a hot day, a very hot day. My mom would have died had it not been for A/C. Ok, maybe that's a bit of an overstatement but you get my point. Maybe the nurse or hospital register person was just aching for a diet coke and couldn't concentrate on the task at hand (ahem...properly editing my birth certificate). Or maybe my parent's were sooo excited at my arrival (I am one of four favorites-buahhaha) that they forgot to check. Needless to say, I found out about a spelling error some 16 years later.

There is one thing that should be made known before I go on. My whole family is Swedish. 100%.

We are all very proud of our strong Scandinavian roots...thus my sister's all have Swedish names. My middle name, Anna (pronounced Awe-na NOT Anne-na) is a family name. My great aunt in Stockholm was named Anna-Greta, etc...


Flash forward 16 years when I am standing in line at the DMV with my mom. I was shaking nervously, waiting to get my driver's permit. I was extremely nervous to be at the DMV because I was terrified of driving (serious car accident a few years prior). The nervousness continued as my turn finally came up. The DMV associate was a whole new kind of scary. He was 7 feet tall, had pasty white skin, long black stringy hair, long nails, and sported a fanny pack.

YIKES!

Now, flash to the point where my birth certificate is verified and I sign to acknowledge that I am the person I claim to be. Scary DMV guy leans over the counter and says, "Did you change your middle name?"

Ummmm no, hello...why would I do that? (insert face turning red and heart rate jumping through the roof).

He flipped my birth certificate over to me and said, "Look." I looked and upon closer inspection found my name was truly spelled AMNA, not ANNA. Not noticable on a fly-by glance, but very evident upon a second look.

My mom and I were stunned. How could this be?

Going forward, the only way to obtain my permit/licence was to go with the documentation on my birth certificate. My legal name. My middle name of AMNA.

To this day, until I go to my place of birth (San Luis Obispo, CA) to have it changed, my legal middle name is: AMNA.

My dad wasn't too happy, seeing as it's a family name and all. I think it's hilarious. Very unique and something that would happen to me.

HI LAR I OUS

Hope you enjoyed the reason I named my blog "Amna." It's a little funny, kind of unique, and makes me laugh.

Tootles,
Kimberly Amna Söderholm

(photo credit: countryliving)