The who, the what, and the Morgan

what is?:

Morgan. A common name to many, a good strong proper name. Or at least that's what people told her. Addy had always been perplexed by this. What exactly makes for a "proper" name? One of the great mysteries of semantics, one can only assume. Back to the matter at hand. Morgan.

Those with the mettle to apply themselves even without succeeding are worth ten of any man without -- Prof. Douglas Morgan

It rhymes with organ, and not much else. Almost the name equivalent of orange. This is one of the many many strongpoints of the name Morgan, though perhaps the others may outshine it. Firstly there was the man, Professor Morgan himself. A genius for his time, with a brilliantly creative mind, the kind of mind that manages to leave an imprint on generations of the family to come, and that it did. From Douglas to Alistar, from Alistar to Martin, and now from Martin to Adelane, the first only child in generations, and a girl at that! Knowing that the family name is irrevocably doomed would have Douglas Morgan spinning in his grave, were his corpse not already hard at work solving death's great mysteries in typical Morgan style. As for the here and the now, this means two things for Adelane. Firstly, it means she will be judged by her family simply for being born, and secondly, it means the same judgemental family without a slither of hope for her will never let her disgrace the Morgan name by doing anything but her best in life. What else is family good for?

Compassion is an incredible thing. By our own nature we wish only to take to survive. Truly, then, it takes quite the heart to give. -- Dr. Alastir Morgan

As can so easily be said, life is no picnic, unless the picnic is full of ants, and the sandwiches are made of mouldy bread, a situation especially true for Adelane. In many respects, she was considered by her family less of a Morgan than her second cousin thrice removed on her mother's side, simply for what, or more who she was. A shy, tiny, stuttery thing, handicapped from an early age by the forced drive of her parents and wider family, she would often make a fool of herself. She was still wetting the bed when any "proper" Morgan should have started their own successful business, or qualified as a Doctor, or became a well-recognised academic. As a matter of fact she never did stop wetting the bed at all.

Success should not be measured in wealth or knowledge, but in how you utilise your wealth and your knowledge for the betterment of your peers -- Sir Martin Morgan

Taking all of this into account it would be fairly logical to deem Adelane a failure, a poor example of a Morgan, and as some may argue of a human being. In these strictly subjective terms, they may well be correct. But for all her faults and shortcomings, even she can be granted the few spectacular moments of efflorescence.

What little my life amounts to I often brood over. I lose sleep over the little things nobody should care about, simply because I cannot overcome them. I feel frequently down, trodden and disheartened, sometimes even turning to grim thoughts. But all it takes is one look of the sparkle in someone else's eye; the little glimpse of the genius hiding within everyone waiting to be freed. That never fails to bring a smile to my face, and for just one moment, as I gaze into that person's inner genius, that little twinkle of hope, I feel meaning in my life. -- Adelane Morgan