Time for a change

The NFL season finally started last night. Although this been an easy transition with the success of the Tampa Bay Rays. And with the first week of the season, we shall see something of a "first."

Do you want another example of why it is important to make major decisions in life IN COMMUNITY and NOT by yourself? I would consider changing one's last name to be fairly large.

That's what Bengal's receiver Chad Johnson has done. He officially changed his last name in a Broward County courthouse last week from Johnson to OchoCinco. His number is "85" and instead of going with the exact translation to Spanish "ochenta y cinco," he opted for a looser translation. Crazy.

Now the NFL has agreed to officially recognize this name by allowing the Bengals to put "Ocho Cinco" (though it is technically one word for legal documents) on his jersey. I think he got fined for having it on his jersey last year at the beginning of the game before his QB ripped it off.

This stunt may last a season. I doubt he will retire as Chad OchoCinco. More likely he'll be Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson. Probably very few folks out there will be inspired to officially change their name to "G-Money" "Scottish Nightmare" or "Dushka" (all of which I've gone by at different times in my life.) But regardless, it shows the need for others to speak wisdom into our lives regarding important decisions. Sometimes such decisions may not be as easy to reverse, and have more serious consequences that only others may be able to see.