Hello, My Name is Courtney

"Courtney!  Why are you so...strange?" 

My co-worker was just about to log on to Facebook, after me, but couldn't quite understand why the user name/password blanks were upside down and backwards.  She was commenting on that fact, probably because she had never seen it before and was frustrated because she couldn't log on? 

Of course, I didin't think there was anything strange with not having a normal Facebook setting.  But all I could say was, "I don't know...?"  Crap, I thought I doing a pretty good job of being pretty normal.  But was my "strangeness" really that apparent?  Even to Guyanese??

Often I will introduce myself to Guyanese and they will wonder why a girl is named Courtney.  "Courtney is a boys name," they'll say.  Or I will close my email with Courtney, and they will respond "Dear Mr. Gilman..."  One time I followed up with a phone call from an email and the lady was like, "Oh!  I thought you were a man!" 

Back in high school, I knew an African-American boy named Courtney.  We didn't have much in common, but we were buds, because of our common name.  Yes, I know Courtney is also a popular African-American/Guyanese boy's name, I tell the Guyanese who comment on my name.  Then, I kindly and calmly explain that in the United States, Courtney is also a popular girls name.  It's one of those Peace Corps "Goal #3" conversations.

But here is the kicker:  I remember a conversation I had with my father, when I was a little girl.  We were talking about what it would be like when I grew up.  He told me that sometimes, little black boys grow up to be white women.  Sometimes, little black girls grow up to be white men.  He suggested that there was a chance that I'd grow up to be the opposite color and sex of what I was when I was a little girl.  I kid you not.  Even back then, I knew that was an outrageous topic of conversation and claim to make.  I knew that it was really weird.

But I can't help but think back to that conversation and how ironic it is, that, today, as a grown white female, I'm being mistaken for, well, a black male.  Perhaps that anecdote might also help explain why I'm so, um, "strange".  I guess it's also true that the mango doesn't fall far from its tree...

Stay tuned for a detailed recap of WEnEx and pictures and thoughts and projections for the final month of service!

Love and limes!