Hello, my name is Julia Bruce Paul

            People in Ethiopia don't have last names. If you see a second name listed for an Ethiopian, what you are really seeing is that person's name followed by their father's name.

            When I went to the hospital the other day, they asked for my father's name I looked around. I looked at Almaz. I looked at the receptionist. I looked at the monkey footprint in  the cement. I squinted one eye and said, "B-bruce?"
            "And your grandfather's name?"

            "Is that really necessary?"

            "Yes."

            "My father's father?"

            "Yes."

            "Paul?"

           
Names in Ethiopia also have meanings. My new sisters' names are Kalkidan and Walela, meaning promise and sweet respectively. My father's name, Tadese, means new. My mom's name, Etagu, means sister, and my brother's name is out of the bible; Mikyas.
            My doctor asked me what my name meant.
            "Um, what it means? I don't know. Nothing?"

            "You didn't ask your parents?"

            "It doesn't mean anything. It's just a name."

            "Oh," he was surprised. "In Ethiopia, all names have meanings."

As of this moment, official medical documents, including a med-card and prescription in my pocket, have my name listed as Julya Burrus Paul which means, "nothing something and that one dude from the bible."

Here's the monkey footprint. It's forever encased in cement.