Nametags

I am a nametag cheat. I think I am pretty honest and trustworthy on other accounts but I do admit to this. I hate nametags. Information is power. My name is a piece of information about me. Both my first name and my last name are pretty unique and I don't want to have to explain anything about either to just anyone. I don't want to share how they are pronounced or where they came from or what they mean or whether I like them or most ridiculous, how long it took me to learn to spell them. I just want to be anonymous. So I go to a workshop and 'accidentally' forget to put on my nametag. Or I put it on my jacket then take that jacket off and 'forget' to move it to my shirt. If it is a two day event, I 'forget' the nametag at home or at the hotel room. If there is a workshop binder, I stick it inside the front cover and 'lose' it there. Or I 'accidentally' leave it in the car at lunch or break time.

But there are two places where I proudly wear my nametag. I treasure my nametags from these events and carry them around on my car dashboard all year for the fond memories they trigger. One is Garfield Farm, where I give prairie tours, in August at an event called Heirloom Garden Day, and at another event in October called Harvest Days. The other is WomanSong, a 3 day festival of workshops and music and talks and art vendors that is held in North Dakota in September. These events and the people who organize and hold them and the people who attend them are special and wonderful and I want to connect at these events and so, there and then, I wear my nametags proudly!