What's in a name? by Ashlyn Chase

I'm one of those 'new-agey' people that make certain skeptics roll their eyes. That said, let me tell you what a difficult time I had choosing my pen name.

First of all, it had to correspond to my destiny number numerologically. (Skeptics: insert eyeroll here.) Next, I had to like it. After that, I had to google it to be sure there weren't 5,000 other things that would pop up before me. And finally, I had to look in the mirror and see if the name fit.

It took days and days of going through my New Age Baby Names book, the telephone book, computer lists, etc. Then after coming up with some possible combinations, one of those four things I mentioned knocked the name off my list. Color me frustrated!

Finally I googled baby names, or something ridiculously simple. I wound up on a mothers-to-be blog where they had been discussing the subject and putting together their 10 favorite names for each sex. I lurked. Yes, I know, it's rude to eavesdrop, but I was desperate!

Well, Ashlyn was in the girl's column and Chase was in the boy's column. I liked them both and I liked them together. The numbers matched. (Yay!) And the only thing Google brought up was a road in North Carolina! Terrific! Then there was the mirror test. Did I look like an Ashlyn? I'll be darned. I certainly did! In fact, I looked more like an Ashlyn than I did my own first name! Ha!

Then someone suggested Ashley. It passed the number test, but Google had a couple hundred Ashley Chase connections, and I don't look like an Ashley. I'm serious. I just don't. So, Ashlyn it was. And is! I love my new name. It's not new agey at all. It's not 'romancey' either. But, it's me.

I like reinventing myself. I've done it a lot--not always with a new name, but what a terrific opportunity to be what you've always wanted to be...or to be who you always wanted to be. I think they're connected. But that's just me.