The Name Otto George

Readers might wonder, “How did you come up with that strange name for your friend, Otto George?”  There was a method to my madness, indeed.  Neither do I think it’s strange at all . . . I like the name and am honoring my friend who took the trip with me.  I started out knowing I needed a palindrome, a backwards-forwards word, because that describes his wide personality.  He’s present/absent; mighty/meek; logical/bizarre; reasonable/ outlandish; intelligent/lacking; funny/scary; hot/cold.  The interchangeable twist could be extended to both first and last names as well, I realized.  His heritage is German-Irish.  Plus you don’t see the name ‘Otto’ in American literature much.  I had a roommate in college named Charlie Otto. I could honor two people at the same time.  All that appealed to me. Even so, I agonized about this name choice for years . . . that is, until I was in New York City one night with a bunch of friends in the 1980's.  As we walked down a street in Greenwich Village, I explained my dilemma to them, ending by blurting out an anguished prayer,  “Lord, am I supposed to keep this name or not?  Show me a sign.  Please.”  Not five minutes later, our group walked past the Bottom Line Cabaret.  The marquee said, “Appearing Tonight:  The Comedy of Otto and George.” Talk about divine intervention!  I learned later about the advertised act—Otto Petersen was a ventriloquist, and George was his puppet. That name was now written in stone. I wouldn't dare change it.