Full disclaimer ahead of this story: My youngest daughter's name is Scout, but it also isn't.
Actually, her given name is Sydney. And while a lovely name, "Sydney" is only really used by her grandparents and when I really need to get her attention in a loud voice. While selecting her name, my husband announced: "I'm just going to call her Scout anyway," and so it is. We both individually list "To Kill a Mockingbird" as our favorite book, and collectively agree that our Scout could have no better namesake than Harper Lee's creation. So, she's called Scout about 87% of the time.
When my Scout was just four, she and I took her oldest sister to our city's downtown public library to do research for a high school research paper. While she ran to the stacks, Scout and I lingered in the lobby where I quickly noticed signs for special "To Kill a Mockingbird" promotions celebrating its recognition as the state book of the year.
We walked over to one of the tables displaying brochures and bookmarks and told the man standing there, "This is my little Scout." He smiled and told us that the "real" Scout would be arriving soon at the library.
Mary Badham, the Alabama actress who played Scout in the classic movie rendition of the book when she was 10-years-old, would be arriving at any moment to present a lecture on her experiences.
And at about that moment I saw her walk through the main library entrance.
She looked exactly like Scout from the movie--just 50 years older.
I could imagine her sitting next to Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch; I could see her responding to the instruction in the courtroom balcony: "Jean Louise, stand up. Your daddy's passin'."
She stopped to talk to a few people, then walked right over to us and knelt down on Scout's level.
I told Mrs. Badham my daughter's name and she said to her: "Well, hello Scout. I'm also named Scout," and went on to compliment her on her pretty dress, telling her that she had a dress almost just like it when she was little.
She told her to "be good and sweet," and then hugged her.
I thanked her profusely, gave her a hug myself, and she was on her way.
Scout doesn't remember the encounter, but she knows where her name comes from; she's listened to me read the book out loud to her; she knows what Scout represents to us.
And, in some sort of beautiful life-imitates-art situation, my now 14-year-old Scout is so very similar to the fictional character.
She's inquisitive and intelligent; she's precocious; she's kind and concerned about justice; she'll wear a dress when she has to, but is more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt; she's a barefoot adventurer; she's an old soul with a young heart.
So while it says Sydney on her birth certificate--and while she may choose to be an intelligent, precocious, kind, adventuresome adult Sydney someday--for now she will be Scout to us.
A child who shows us what we are capable of and reminds us that parents must always model compassion.
"Be good and sweet," Scout told my Scout.
Simple wisdom for us all, and a reminder that being Scout is a very honorable thing.
