Ummm... Sallini Gallini??

Saturday, January 27, 2007

So what's with the Sallini Gallini name?

It's kinda cute. First off, it's pronounced Suh-lee-nee Guh-lee-nee. Got that? Might want to say it a few times just to be sure. I've had people think I was saying "Zucchini Gullini", but that's just ridiculous. What kind of a name is that?!

Anyway, when I was just a young girl, maybe 5 or 6, I decided that my name was too boring. Too blase (yes, I'm pretty certain I knew what "blase" was, even at that young age). Too ordinary.

So, I marched into the room where my mom was sitting and announced quite emphatically, "mommy! From now on my name is Sallini Gallini! I'm not Cherie anymore. Make sure you remember this!"

My mom didn't seem too impressed with my declaration and kept calling me Cherie. What's with that?! Perhaps she didn't get that I was serious. I refused to speak unless I was called by my rightful name, Sallini Gallini. My sister wanted no part of this and kept calling me She-She. Evidently I was dropped off in the wrong family by the flying stork that delivers babies. Because OBVIOUSLY my REAL family would have appreciated the fact that I was named incorrectly! But anyway...

It wasn't until a few days later that Sallini Gallini made her official debut to the world.

Younger sister and I were out shopping with mom. As we strolled up and down the aisles, I lapsed into stupefying boredom. When you're not allowed to get all the candy and cookies you want then what's the point of shopping? I trudged down the aisle, following my mom as she picked up one boring food after another. Cream of Wheat (gag). Dried beans (double gag!). Bird seed bread.. errm, that is, whole wheat bread with all those nasty grains and seeds (who likes this stuff?!).

So we're walking along and I'm just about comatose when my mom stops and tells me she forgot to get some Quaker Oats and would I run back to the previous aisle and pick up a canister?

Finally! Something to stave off my impending death! I raced back down the aisle and around the corner and over to the Quaker Oats. I carefully selected the correct canister and turned to go back - and there was The Woman. She smiled at me over her cart and then leaned down a bit to my level and asked, "hi sweetie. What's your name?"

As the angels sang the hallelujah chorus, my little heart swelled with joy and pride. Finally, FINALLY, I could tell someone my name and they wouldn't know that it used to be something else!

With beating heart I blurted out "Sallini Gallini!" and then stood there beaming at The Woman. Surely she would recognize the awesomeness of my name and comment that it was the best she had ever heard! I waited in anticipation...

"What was that again?"

"Sallini Gallini!"

"Suh.. what?"

"SALLINI GALLINI!" What was wrong with this lady? Maybe her hearing needed checking. This was not going like I'd planned.

"What a silly girl you are. That's not your name. What is it really?"

This lady had SOME NERVE. Insulting my name and calling me a liar. Well, ok, not outright, but she sure thought it. I could tell!

"My name is SALLINI GALLINI. It IS! It IS!!" I stamped my little foot and went tearing down the aisle, back to my mom. I arrived breathless and in a flood of tears I managed to choke out.."that lady said my name wasn't Sallini Gallini!" ...wahh...

Mom managed to calm me down and she and my dad had a good chuckle over that for quite awhile. And for a few days anyway, I really was Sallini Gallini! Of course, I eventually got in trouble, as all kids do, and once my mom hollered out "CHERIE RENE" that was the end of Sallini Gallini. May she rest in peace.

So there it is. Just an odd tale from my childhood. I should totally had a daughter now and name her Sallini Gallini. That'll show everyone!! Or maybe I'll just go have my name legally changed.... hmmmm....