Blogging - what's in a name?

By Ken Oxley on Dec 17, 08 05:37 PM

When I first began writing this blog over a year ago I thought the idea of calling it "Howay Five-0" was rather clever.

Too clever, as it turned out, because quite a few people had no idea what the title alluded to.

You have to be of a certain age to be familiar with the TV cop series Hawaii Five-O. And you have to be from a certain geographic location to know that "Howay" means "come on".

So, assuming you fit the criteria - ie: you're fortysomething or older with north-east connections - you will understand that "Howay Five-0" broadly translates to "Come On 50, I'm ready for you!"

I know what you're thinking . . . it's a bit obtuse. But that's not the main problem with "Howay Five-0" as a blog name.

The real problem - and one I really ought to have foreseen - is that it was incredibly short-sighted.

You see, I'm 50 next month. So the very notion of me bravely facing up to the inevitable is a little like locking the stable door after the horse is bolted. Or at least it will be soon.

In mitigation, I should point out that I never thought my blog would survive this long. I realise that's a poor defence, but it's the best I can offer.

So what now for "Howay Five-0"? Should I rename it? How about Auf Wiedersehen Five-0? Or - to continue with the ropey TV parodies - One's Thoughts in the Grave?

Nah. Best not. Much beter to just soldier on regardless and hope nobody notices.

Except you will now because I've drawn your attention to it. See what happens when old age kicks in? Could this be early-onset senile dementia?

Rest assured, then, that the blog name will remain unchanged, even though it's past its sell by date.

Presumably 20th Century Fox faced the same dilemma as we approached the millennium and they're still going strong.

One thing that WILL change, however, is my outlook on life. My 40s have been mostly good years, but marred by spells of self-doubt and anxiety.

So I will be officially declaring my 50s as a decade of fun and frivolity . . . a time when nothing gets me down and all my troubles are kept in perspective.

Howay Six-0, then. OK, so it doesn't really have the same ring to it, but it's the thought that counts.