Tradition, as I know it, is supposed to guide how you do things. To provide guidance and through this provide ease and a sense of well-being. People have done this before, and it has worked well, so don't worry. It is by route of an attempt at tradition that I have been given my name. Bem.
Bem is a very uncommon name. At least it is in the Western World that I live. Through a bit of research I have determined that Bem is a Nigerian name, meaning Peace. So maybe it is more common in Nigeria, but who am I to say for sure.
But I am not Nigerian. I am Canadian, with German and Dutch backgrounds. So how does one of European descent end up with a Nigerian Name?
Tradition! It is German tradition to try to keep names in the family. My Grandfather was Benno. I have an uncle and a cousin Benno as well. And my father's Frisian name, Berend, has become Ben since moving to Canada. So there was enough tradition in the family already. So my parents went hunting through the baby books and found a name that no one else seems to have considered--or no one else read the same baby book my parents did. Bem. Keeping close to the theme, but certainly unique.
I have never met another person who has met another Bem. Some searches on the internet have turned up a few other Bem's in the US. I believe they were professors at some univeristies. Usually all I find when I search for "bem" through a search engine, though, are hits of "bem vindo" which is hello in Portugese.
Back to tradition. Tradition is supposed to affect your life, and it has certainly affected mine. How many of you can predict how the conversation will go pretty much every time you meet someone. The question "Is that short for something?" has been the plague for my existence. What could Bem possibly be short for. Bemjamin?!? The only thing that I know it is short for is the sci-fi acronym Bug Eyed Monster, refering to aliens. I have used that as my internet pseudonym for several years. It is largely unused, to my fortune.
Don't get me wrong. I like my name. I like having a unique name. I just struggle with people's inablility to accept uncommon names. Even when I write things on the internet, I get things back addressed to Ben or Bern or Bif or Bim. As if I don't know how to spell my own name!
But anyways. Welcome to my home and I hope to hear from you.