Stuff to Rock Your World.

What's with the Name??

Okay, before I go further or deeper on any other topic, let me being by clarifying my last name. Chiarappa is of Italian descent, so it isn't pronounced the way it is spelled for the American lingo. For the heck of it, let's deconstruct the maiming of my name...

Right off the bat, the "Ch" is a killer. The average American automatically assumes it is a hard sound, like "charm." Or there are those who see it as a French name, so they go after the "Ch" as in "chateau." Regardless of the approach, these souls are off to a bad start. What follows is usually equally dismal. The "iarappa" easily becomes "eyearappa" or even "eyearappappa" - don't even ask me where those extra syllables come from.

So for the sake of clarity, let me say that my name is the blend of "Chianti" and "Grappa." The "Ch" is soft, like "Chianti" and the rest of it is "Grappa" without the "G." For those who don't drink, here's another approach: "Key+ah+rah+pah."

Okay, now that I've set the record straight about my personal brand name, I feel better...On to hopefully more interesting topics.

--C.L.C.

My Voice

My Italian roots run deep. As good Italians, we all love to speak at once, about everything, anything and anyone. We are an opinionated people. We are a creative people. We certainly are a passionate people. We love food (as long as it's from within a 10-mile radius of our town), we love family, we love life. Above all, we love to talk - hands and all.

My interest in communications must have started at an early age. I remember my father urging me to become a lawyer because of my ability to find the poignant aspects of any debate. I also learned from him the fine art of diplomacy, persuasion and influence as he regularly brought home international dignitaries weary from daylong heated exchanges about vexing issues in plant production and protection. Those meals, artfully crafted by my mother, served to soothe frayed nerves and build relationships. Maybe it is also from this that I unknowingly took away a deep appreciation for attending skills, a seemingly dying art in these hurried times.

I have spent the past two decades absorbed in my work and raising a family. I now have a strong urge to reach out and find ways to make a difference - be it through volunteering, paying attention to the environment, or just through being more "present" in my world.

I decided to explore my voice in this format, in a place that I hope to be a journey of discovery, humor and observations about making a difference. Buona lettura (happy reading)!

-- C.L.C.