Jeremiah Noble Hankins IV
The name Jeremiah is not a very common name. It is long and difficult for people to spell. Most people that I know for any length of time – including my parents – end up coming up with a nickname for me. When I was first born my parents thought Jeremiah was too big of a name for such a little baby, so they called me Hank. This name has carried over into sports because it is short and easy to yell in the middle of a game.
I have never taken my name too seriously. Hankins is commonly mispronounced or mistyped Hawkins. Because of one such typo, in Jr. Lifeguards, the instructors called me Jeremiah Hawkins every day. When they took attendance, they would say, “Jeremiah Hawkins, with a name like that, you’re going to be somebody someday.” I liked it, so I never corrected them.
Within the last few years, several new nicknames of mine have developed. As I would walk through the halls of my middle school I would not only hear, “Hey Jeremiah!” but also “Messiah.” Or “Sup Miah?” Jiv, the latest addition to my collection of nicknames, comes from one on my online friends. He combined my first initial, J, with IV which stands for the fourth. I like all of my nicknames. They’re fun, but I also like my name, Jeremiah.
Most people know Jeremiah as a prophet written about in the Old Testament. At one time prophets were praised and revered. Times change and by the time Jeremiah came along in the seventh century B.C., prophets were out of fashion. His preaching was often in disfavor of the rulers of the day, and he was placed under house arrest several times. When he predicted the downfall of Jerusalem, he was considered a traitor for prophesizing this defeat and locked in a cistern that served as a dungeon. Jerusalem finally did fall, and Jeremiah was captured by resistance groups and taken to Egypt.
Jeremiah, like all good prophets, was very perceptive. He was able to see to see the world as it truly is. He noticed patterns and made his predictions based upon reason. Jeremiah probably realized Jerusalem was going to fall because he saw the Babylonian’s expansion army would crush the armies of Jerusalem. Like my namesake, Jeremiah, I too make accurate connections. I am good at judging motives and understanding human behavior. I perceive the world as it is, know what it should be, and can guess what it will be.
I come from a family of thinkers. I am the fourth Jeremiah Noble Hankins. The three Jeremiahs that preceded me were each involved in the technology of their time. My Dad is a systems analyst: he understands how computer systems and programming works. His dad was an engineer and worked on the B1 Bomber and the X-15. He designed the airplanes that protected us during and following World War II. My great-grandfather, the first Jeremiah Noble Hankins, was a doctor. Like those that carried my same name, I also expect to be on the forefront of technology. I don’t know the direction I will take, but I imagine it will have something to do with computers or engineering.
I’ve always liked my name. I like the way it sounds. Jeremiah. It is a strong name with many variations and a good history. I hope to pass my name on to a son one day. He’ll be Jeremiah Noble Hankins V, but I think I’ll call him Five for short.