Cultureshock

You need Adobe Flash installed to watch this movie.
Get Adobe Flash

Video transcript

Teears

What does it mean to you? A name? A place? Are you finding yourself saying "is that spelt correctly?" Well, you're not the first.

Have you ever thought that you needed to become something? Fulfill a right of passage or make a difference? Well, I discovered eight years ago, something which i need to fulfill, my right of passage and a legacy i must leave. The name.

Teears, six letters that mean so much to me but over the years have caused alot of confusion in those around me. People used to laugh at school as it was not your generic 'Smith' or 'Jones' It was different, memorable, but unusual. I hated it.

It's been with me all my life, my father Kenneth before me and his father William before him. I don't know how far the name goes back.

My father died in 2000 aged 52. I was 18. He has 2 brothers Thomas and Stuart and 2 sisters Eileen and Elizabeth, but none of them have had sons which bare the Teears name.

It never thought that I was the only person who could pass the Teears name on, until a passing comment from my Uncle Tom regarding my grandfather's war medals. "You're the only one who can wear them now you know" we'll need someone to pass these onto when I go.

Then it dawned on me, The Teears clan are an endangered species. Looking the name up on the national voting register brings up 3 names, my mother Maria, my uncle Stuart and, yes you guessed it, me.

I have received one or two friend requests on Facebook from people in America with the same surname "Who are you?" "Are you related?" "Where does the name come from?" I just tell them the same as I'm telling you. I don't know where it's come from but I'm more worried about where it's going.

My fiancee Anthea and I, have been together for nine years. We're getting married in 2010.

It's quite a responsibility for us to continue this name, but it's not dying with me.