Thursday, May 14, 2009

Names Matter

The two hour season finale of Grey's Anatomy certainly held some surprises. My favorite line, however, was, "I survived being named Arizona. Trust me, I'm tough." Or something to that effect.
So I'm left to ponder not the events of the finale but people named Arizona. I've known two women with that first name and neither was a character in a popular television program. Both did, though, work in the Globe High School school system and, in fact, in the same building.
Arizona Cubitto was the secretary for the high school principal. Arizona Hazelwood was the secretary to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for Gila County. Her office was also in that big pink high school building.
Both women were formidable and amazing. They, too, survived being named Arizona.
Incidentally, Arizona Hazelwood's sister was Georgia Belle Baker who well into her eighties ran single handedly a cattle ranch up under the Mogollon Rim.
Georgia Bell wasn't named Arizona but she may as well have been because she certainly knew a thing or two about survival.
Of course, parents naming both of their daughters Arizona would have been about as unusual as parents naming one daughter Arizona.
My mother was not named Arizona. However, despite that fact, I am from Arizona.
Life for the most part is far more interesting and confusing than season finales of popular television programs.
Go figure.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I didn't watch this series so I have no comment to make about the season.

Anonymous said...

My mother WAS named Arizona - and in fact was one of the Arizonas named in your post. So now I am left to wonder: who are you and how did you know my mom?

MaryWalkerBaron said...

I graduated from Globe High School -- Mary Walker Class of 1963.