Did I miss a year?

It’s been a tradition in my family to give the children literary names.  Betsey was named for Elizabeth Bennett, David Copperfield’s aunt, Betsey Trotwood, and Jane Austen.  My mother was Louisa for Louisa May Alcott.  I have three names, Charlotte Emily Anne, after the Brontes.  Cilla was supposed to be Belinda Harriet as a salute the Barbara Pym’s heroines in Some Tame Gazelle, but she was born on Thanksgiving, so we decided to give her a Pilgrim name, and she is Priscilla Temperance.  Josh escaped, because Darcy is a girl’s name and you can’t really name your son Mister.

Betsey did not believe that I had two middle names.  “That’s weird.”  So I dug out my birth certificate.

“See, right here.    ‘Charlotte Emily Anne Somerville born November 12 . . .’”  Then I noticed something.  My birth certificate said I was born a year earlier than I was.  I guess I’d never read it. 

That was weird.

Ed joked that I had married him under false pretenses and that maybe we’d have to get married again like Rob and Laura Petri had.  Unfortunately he said it in front of the girls, who were all set to have another wedding.

Karen thought there might be some romantic story behind it and Nikki said it was probably a clerical error.  She had had to have her daughter Jennifer’s birth certificate changed because it said “Hennifer” and her nephew is Matthew David instead of David Matthew, since her sister didn’t want to go to the trouble to change it.

Nikki is probably right, but I decided to call my Aunt Pooh.  That is my mother’s sister, who was named after Ursula in Women in Love.  When she didn’t like it, my grandmother explained that Ursula meant bear, so she decided to call herself WinniethePooh, but somehow it degenerated into “Pooh.”  Aunt Pooh has four children, my cousins Meghan, Joanna, Bethany, and Jim.  When Jim realized that he had been named James so he could be called “Jamie,” he rebelled.  I think my uncle was relieved.

When I called Aunt Pooh, she said she’s been dying to have a nice visit and could I come over to her house and how would Saturday be?

I was puzzled, but I said “Of course.”

It’s always nice to see Aunt Pooh.