39. Man of Many Names

I go by many names in Moldova. For my first 8 weeks in Moldova, when I was with my Pre-Service Training, my host family would accidentally call me Sam, because that was the name of the neighboring volunteer, or Lorenz, because he was the volunteer that lived with the family the year before.

At my new site, I get called Aaron; he was the last male volunteer in the village. From what I know, Aaron served in the village for 4 years, but he has not been in the village for 4 years or so. Not only have I been called Aaron, accidentally, by my host family but also by other people in the community.

This is not a problem and it happens a lot in the US as well, but I believe that there is something more to this than just a slip in memory. I believe that these names are still remembered and misused by Moldavians because these volunteers have made a difference in the lives of the people the volunteers lived and worked with. I hope that when I leave, the next volunteer will be called by my name accidentally, as a sign that I have made a difference.