Who is Willy Philly?

Shortly before my birth, my parents moved to a posh neighborhood in suburban Detroit, where my father had a medical residency. Prior to that, they had lived at the small Air Force base where he was chief surgeon. In other words, he went from being one of the bigwigs who all but about a dozen people on base saluted to literally renting a small house behind some of the grandest mansions in the country. I assume it was initially intended as servants' quarters, or perhaps a guest house. Given his work schedule and the fact that my sister was a toddler, the person who felt this shift in status most strongly was probably my mother. She recalls the baby naming game with women in the "village" who felt it necessary to include their childrens' lineage in their names, not simply Thurston Howell III, but first names and multiple middle names chosen to honor prestigious members of the families united in their marriages. Eventually, my parents came up with a name for me that would honor his great aunt and her cousin: Wilhelmina Philomena. They'd call me Willy Philly for short. 

I don't know as that name was ever mentioned outside the family, but its purpose of disrupting narratives of wealth and power with humor and the happenstance of two rhyming ancestors is one that resonates with me. I plan to use this blog to think through resistance to race, religion, gender and other markers. Context and contingency, as well as shifting balance can be expected to make regular appearances. Eventually, some of it will get outside the "family", as I seek broader publication, but for now it is my sandbox where I can think about these ideas freely. I welcome comments, including critiques, from you, my readers, and thank you for following along.