Caro Nome de Plume

The ONE, the ONLY ....

Grahamophone! 

Oh, crap... somebody already thought of that. Okay, let’s try Zerbinetta. Nope, taken. Off-Coloratura. Next! Desert Diva. Nope.... Come on, let’s really think about this now.  What REALLY describes who I am? A-ha! I’ve got it!! My actual name [typing happily...] Christine Graham!

Unbe-fargin’-lievable. Not available (searching in vain for available blog titles...).

But Christine Graham is ME. Grahamophone is ME.  In certain circles, I’m somewhat of a celebrity under that name. How can these anonymous deadbeats (people who don’t even use their blogs) deprive me of my own name? I’ve been writing under that pen-name for over four years now, which is an eternity in the blogosphere. (Did they even have blogs back then? It started out as my CB handle)

Did Madonna ever have this problem? Sting? Cher? Buddha? 

GOD?

Even the title of this blog post has already been thought of (albeit by only one person - I looked up the phrase on Google, and he seems to be rather cool). Last week, I thought I made up the word “flawsome” until Urban Dictionary showed me otherwise. The phrase “love me, love my blog” is also not original Grahamophone material.

It just goes to show that every great idea I’ve ever had has already been thunk. In fact, I’d venture to say, any idea anyone has ever had has already been thought. Just ask my mother.

I was one of five Christies in the second grade. There was Kristy D., Christi E., Christy G. (that’s me!), Christy M. and Kristie Z. So sharing my name is nothing new to me. At least we had four distinctive spellings, however, which most often prevented confusion.

How is it, then, that we distinguish ourselves from others? Great accomplishments? Exquisite voices? Opera singers who are enjoying international careers don’t sing that much differently than those people who sing day in, day out on the stages of German state opera houses. They’ve just somehow gotten lucky, or worked harder at getting their name known. 

In this spirit, I have decided to stand by my name - Grahamophone - and apply the pre-existing title of my blog from my website - Christine’s Voice - no matter how many people have come before me, or who have yet to know me by my name.

That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

Grahamophone’s Blog “Christine’s Voice” is now being published on Blogger.com as well as christine-graham.com. Please follow me, because I’m going places.