What is in the name
Today is the 50th birthday of my name. It was the exact midpoint of my life in my mother’s womb. A few weeks earlier, my parents traveled to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) for vacation and business. My mom (mama) returned home to Asmara (then part of Ethiopia) two weeks earlier than they planned to attend the funeral of a close relative. But my dad (baba), who worked as an independent accountant, stayed behind for two more weeks to file the financial statements of one of his long-time clients. The day before his travel, he sent a telegram to another of his clients in Asmara. He does not remember the exact wording now, but it was terse and said something to the effect, “I am done with the business. I will arrive tomorrow”.