My Name is Riley
My name is interesting, as there are relatively few Liljenquist’s. There have to be even fewer Riley Liljenquists. In fact, in the United States, I am the only one. That is one of the funny things about my name. My middle name is McCloud, named after the character Duncan Macleod from the television show, obviously spelled different. In that show, the idea is that there can only be one Highlander, which is funny because I believe there can only be one Riley.
I feel sort of vindicated, knowing that there is only one Riley Liljenquist. I’ve pretended that I could be the only one. In fact, from time to time, when I sarcastically announce my presence, I use third person to say “make room for Riley.” I say it as if I were the only one. But, it’s true, I am the only one. In fact, I have only met a handful of other Riley’s in my life, only one of which had the same spelling. That’s how I’ve lived my life, as Robin Williams says, “you ain’t never had a friend like me.”
The name Riley has stood the test of time. Over the course of human history, the Irish and Western European name Riley is one that our culture has marked as one that goes back hundreds of years in our history. To have such a name, is to join the long line of those that have come before us. My name is Riley Liljenquist. My Swedish surname and my Irish first name ensure that I am the only one in these United States. So, I must take it upon myself to make the name as memorable as possible, as I am the representative of my name in this nation.
To be the only Riley Liljenquist, is to take on the responsibility given to me by my parents. I have kept my ancestral roots with me, as I have never lived the life of an Irishman, but I have never strayed away from the original birth place of that name.