I’ve been preparing for my bicycle trip for the past month. One of my kind friends let me have his old bike to use for the trip. Since the bike needed quite a bit of work to be in running condition, I took it to a bicycle shop to get it fixed.
Over the course of the month I would drop in many times to check on it. The mechanics were very friendly and they helped me in the best way they could.
There was one little hang up with my interaction with them though. I was quite sure they didn’t know me by my name.
And this suspense went on till the day I left. It was funny to find them navigate their way through the conversation without having to call me by my name.

As I start my bicycle trip today, I got wondering about this situation. It would be nice to be called by my name. But do I want to be remembered just by my name?
Or by my physical appearance?
I wish to be remembered for my human qualities. I would like to embody the best of me in all the interactions in daily life.
I’d strive to be kind, compassionate and helpful in the small everyday things that pass by as trivial to us all.
It would be enough for me to be known as a kind and helpful person.
Thinking like this also relieves me of the anxiety of not being remembered by my name. It encourages me to take the responsibility to represent the best version of myself.
I remember someone wise once remarked, ‘What ‘s in a name ?’
Indeed I say.