An Accent Aigu over Her E

Yes, there is another Ginette Methot in the world, and, yes, she does have an accent over her surname e, and, yes, it's an accent aigu (noun: The accent aigu ´ (acute accent) can only be on an E), and, YES, I'm jealous. My name is cool, but her name is cooler. Why did we drop our accent? I want it back.

It as the first minute of the first day of the first grade at Saint Rafield's. Sister Luciel, yes, a bona fide nun—with a habit, was calling roll. She got to my name. "Hmmmm, Ginette Methot. Ginette, do you speak French in your home?" (French is still the second most spoken language in the home in New Hampshire.) Little Ginette, "No." "Well, then, how would you like your name pronounced? Jee-net or Jin-et?" Now even as a first grader, I knew the significance of this moment. Squirming in my seat, I realized eternity was expanding before me, and there were two parallel universes, and I could only choose one. Which life was I going to live? Was I going to be Jee-net (French Ginette) or Jin-et (anglicized Ginette)?

Paralyzed by decisions even in those early years, and with the weight of the crux of my first day of first grade in front of me, I realized everyone was looking at me. "Ginette!" I blurted out, trying to get out of the spotlight. I had to make a decision, and there it was. From now on and forever, anglicized! Chapter one of my very own choose-your-own-adventure book decided. What would life have been like if I had chosen little French Ginette? I would never know. Why can't we cheat on our choose-your-own-adventure books of life and read all the other chapters? I always cheated on the fictional choose-your-own-adventure books and read everything.

I love the uniqueness of my name now, while at the beginning of life, I didn't like being different. I don't mind not finding my name on those kitsch racks of blinking key chains. And I enjoy when other people are surprised by its spelling. Now, if I could only reclaim the accent on my last name, it would be even cooler. The other Ginette Methot wouldn't mind, right? Operation accent reclamation.