I remember the time I was cashiering at Pick N Save and a trio of elderly people came into my lane and immediately started singing my song by The Kinks.“Lola, la la la la Lola,” they sang and watched my dull expression grow into a smile. I can never thank The Kinks enough for creating that song. When I went to Richmond School, from 4K-4th grade, the lunch lady sang my name as I typed in my lunch number, every day. 

When I tell adults my name the first response I get back is “Oh like the song?” Yes, it probably is from the song. My grandpa suggested my name to my parents and he was in love with music from that era, so I’ve always just assumed I got my name from there. My dad swears he picked out my name, but everyone else in my family agrees that my grandpa picked it out, so I think my dad just wishes he did. It is a beautiful name that I’m lucky to have.

Although the song doesn’t portray the most flattering image of Lola at the end, hearing the little jingle of my name by strangers sometimes helps me connect with them. I also like it when my friends or family listen to that song and think of me as they do so. What’s going on may not be anything like what happens in the song, but they will look at me, maintain eye contact, and ardently start mouthing the words to me. 

Another thing I think about was that the song is almost a true story. The Kinks’ manager actually spent a night “dancing with a crossdresser.” While this was intentional or not it still was enough for The Kinks to write a song about a man in a similar situation. With a woman whom they assumed was cisgender and soon realized was not. This song would probably gather a bit of controversy today, but to others, the lyrics are trivial. I don’t think most people really listen to the lyrics. All in all, as annoying as older people can be sometimes, whether it’s driving slow or not being able to understand simple technology, I have to thank that generation for my song because it has brought me a lot of joy and comfort.