I have one of the weirdest names...no really, My name seems to belong on the back of a bubblegum wrap or something like that. I have always wanted to know what it means, but to no avail! I am close to accepting that it might just be without real meaning. I often make up meanings for my name when people ask what it means, it has now become enjoyable. Im amused by it and Im starting to actually believe in the made up meanings myself, Ha!..sad.
My American friends used to ask me if I named myself Bandie because Im a member of a band? Haha!...even sadder! No my friends, it is not a play name, it is a real name.
The truth is that I am proud of this name. It is a name that I cannot take lightly. I might not know the meaning of it but I know its importance. It was a name given to me at 6 months of age by my father. This name was taken from one of Africa's history books. My father insisted I be called by that name from then, so my birth name was scrapped from being my first name to being my second name. The name Bandie took prominence. I have never used my 'second name' except in IDs and formal papers. The actual spelling of the name is Nbandi, but my family decided to cut the 'N' (or maybe they got another version of it, who knows what). At age five when I was learning how to write my name, my oldest sister added the 'e' to make it prettier. I have never realised why it had an 'e' at the end until recently when I remembered who first taught me to write my name. I am at the moment thinking about changing it back to the original name.
I was named after a queen of Angola who fought against Portuguese colonialism for over 40 years. Her name was Nbandi Nzinga. She was particularly a strong woman who was also a member of her army. She went into battle herself to defend her kingdom against the intruders from the 'outside world'. These 'intruders' tried to cheat her and her people out of land. My father was mostly impressed by her intelligence and her strength of mind, she had willpower that lasted until her demise. This woman was very courageous and had unwavering spirit. I like to think that I am like her. The more I learn about this woman, there more Im impressed by her and want to be like her. Im proud of my name and what it actually 'means'.
I used to ask my father what the meaning of this name was, but because he too didn't know, he would tell me about this Angolan Queen from centuries ago...it doesn't matter to me what it means anymore, this name means a lot to me.
...So you see my friends, this is a name that carries a lot of weight. Not only does it put me under immense pressure to pull my own weight to succeed at all odds, it also inspires me to be liberated and be true to my heart. The story of Nbandi Nzinga will live on for generations. It plays a significant role in shaping my character. This is who I am. Call me Nbandi.
