SO.... along comes this great little blog hop and I'm definitely hooking up!! The idea is to go to your first week of blogging and repost what you wrote. I'm all into recycling! Plus, this gives anyone who is new to your blog, a chance to learn a little something about you.
After you read this, you can go have more bloggy fun by following the links at Mommy2cents and Chosen Chaos. You can have fun reading some other wonderful blogs and even join up yourself. Enjoy!
What's in a name?
Hi. My name is Michael Ann. Yes, Michael. Ann. Like Mary Ann, but Michael instead. Yes, like the boy's name.
My name was supposed to be Melissa. Isn't that nice?? But mom changed her mind at the last minute while watching her favorite tv show, Dr. Kildare. There was a nurse character named Michael Ann, and I guess that just tickled mom's fancy, and she changed her mind only days before I was born. Curse Dr. Kildare!
All my life I've had to suffer through the same questions by well-meaning strangers.
"Are you sure it isn't Michelle?"
Uh, yea, I'm sure.
"Did your parents want a boy?"
No, they already have one.
"Are you named after your dad?"
No, my brother is, and his name is Peter.
Grr.... I understood their curiosity. I understood my name was unusual. But I was just a kid for goodness sake.I just wanted to be normal. To fit in. Why couldn't I have a name like Susan or Debbie or Kathy like all the other girls?
When I was in high school, I had the idea to change the spelling of my name. I thought maybe that would make it seems less unusual, or less "boy." I changed the spelling to Mykle. Um...yea, I know. That didn't really help. In fact I think it made it worse. So I changed it back to Michael, causing even more confusion. When I was in college, someone in my dorm started calling me Mickey, and others followed suit. I didn't really love it, but I thought it was better than dealing with all the Michael questions. After awhile, that nickname grew on me and I liked that most people didn't even know my real name was Michael. Mickey suited me--it's cheerful and spunky, exactly like me. :-) My college friends still call me Mickey.
That was fun while it lasted, but when I got my first job out of college, I decided it was time to let go of Mickey, and embrace my adult self and the name that I came with. I decided to reclaim it with pride. Yes, I am Michael Ann! That's my name and don't wear it out! Oh, did I say "adult?"
Now days, having an uncommon name is not, well, uncommon. In fact it seems to have become desirable. The weirder, the better. Children with names like Apple and Rocket probably won't experience what I did while growing up. Different has become the norm. Kind of defeats the purpose huh? Better off choosing a name like John or Ann. Now THAT will really be unique!
I would like to give this story a happy ending and say that as an adult, I am finally learning to accept and even appreciate my special name, but honestly, I still struggle with it. Maybe I just can't shake my history. I know I could go and have it legally changed...but I've never been willing to go that far. That just somehow seems wrong. It wouldn't be ME.
Wait a minute. Me. Yes....I guess Michael Ann really does feel like me. It should after all these years, huh? Ok, I admit, it hasn't been ALL bad. I have had my share of compliments too. And I have to tell you, when I am introduced to someone and they immediately say, "What a lovely name!" it completely makes my day!
I realize in the grand scheme of things, this is a minor issue, but I'm still going to tell the Starbucks barista my name is Michelle.
Do you have an unusual name?
I leave you with this song.
What a fun link-up. Thanks for sharing this! I added one of my old posts, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you didn't change your name. I think it makes you unique and interesting!
I love your name it is unique and that is cool. I do not know which actress it was but she just had a baby and she named him Bear...yep Bear. Missed you by the way. Hope you are doing ok and that all is well.
ReplyDeleteI will admit I like your name too but I can understand the struggle. I'm an either name... either boy or girl and it constantly made life annoying as I grew up. Also named at the last minute after a tv character, the bionic woman!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found us to link up with and that we provided an easy break in what sounds like a trying time for you. Take care.
Oh good, glad you hooked up Karen. I thought it was a fun one too. I'll go look at yours! MB, thank you very much. I'll be in touch. Bear? R U kidding? That's pretty bad.
ReplyDeleteSeriously the very best thing about having babies is getting to name them. After that it's all downhill.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked strong names for girls. Your name is awesome. I'm jealous.
Seriously the very best thing about having babies is getting to name them. After that it's all downhill.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked strong names for girls. Your name is awesome. I'm jealous.
I love your name. Easy for me to say I know. My maiden name was Pye and I was tortured about that all through school, in fact is High School I was never called anything else other than 'Pye Face' by male students. Lovely! When I got married my name was Biro, which is named after the Hungarian who invented Biro pens. In England a pen is automatically called a Biro like we call tissues Kleenex. So, this was considered a very strange name also. I like the name Young because it reminds me of the Rod Stewart song: 'Forever Young,' which is why after the man was long gone I kept the name!
ReplyDeleteYes. At least when I was a kid, I thought I did because I didn't know of anyone else named Monica. In fact, I wanted to change it to Alice. I thought that would be better.
ReplyDeleteBut I think your name became acceptable during The Walton years. Do you recall that the mother of the Walton clan was played by the actress, Michael Learned? And that was a popular show in its day. Embrace your name. I finally learned to. As you point out, it's quite acceptable these days to have an unusual name.
Michael Ann, I've always thought your name was unique and special! I don't know anyone else by your name! But I have to admit I love Mickey. That's what I call a cool nickname. I love it! :)
ReplyDeleteYour name is as unique and wonderful as you! Hugs to you as you wade through the personal stuff..............!
ReplyDeleteYour name is as unique and wonderful as you! Hugs to you as you wade through the personal stuff..............!
ReplyDeleteI like your name. It's very unique and as a person who can't ever remember any ones name... I would remember this! Love how you've embraced! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for sharing this with us for Ghosts of Blogging Past! :)
Hee, I wondered about your name, so it's good to read about it. :) (and you know I feel you--going around with Shalini as a name in the white suburbs of Chicago will win you very few friends).
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to me, since I love names of all kinds regardless if they are "traditional" or unique or whatnot. So many people get hung up on names needing to be a certain why and it drives me crazy. And gives people like you, with unique names, a complex. Which infuriates me! My name is totally normal - but my husband is a "Lambros" and his sister is "Stavroula (Voula)" - so I hear their stories and see some of the difficulties in action.
ReplyDeleteWhat?! You have another blog I never knew about??!!! AHHHH!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sad...
Sharon
I love your unique name. Mine is ordinary, but spelled differently so that's always been a challenge. I'm with you, though. My name is who I am, so I couldn't change it.
ReplyDeleteNot unusual name but 2 names. My first name is George, after my dad but I go by my middle name, James (Jimmy). Not sure how many times I've had to explain both names are mine and thereby able to be used.
ReplyDeleteYou know there is nothing better than being unique, even if it's sometimes a struggle. I would never change anything about me to be part of a collective. Embrace all of you.. I'm sure all that noise at home will sort itself out and bring you back to you words, where often answers and possibility lies.
ReplyDeleteMy very first blog entry was March of 2000, on the now-defunct Geocities, so it no longer exists on that site. (though I do have it on my computer) The title was "Ned Moves into a Playhouse."
ReplyDeleteRecycling is a great idea when there is just too much "life stuff" to feel motivated to blog. Thanks for sharing about your name identity crisis. While I have a "normal" name, the spelling is unsual. I used to hate it growing up because I couldn't ever get any cool souvenirs from the airport with my name on it and everyone called me Carolyn. But now I appreciate the unique spelling and it's a good conversation topic. I tend to think "Karen" is kind of boring :)
ReplyDeleteHope you and your family have a great holiday. All the best.
Such wonderful comments from everyone, thank you for taking the time to write!
ReplyDeleteHow do you think I felt when they used to call ME "Michael" and thought that YOU were Chris! ;-)
ReplyDeleteLove this! Michael Learned (the mom on the Waltons) is also a Michael. You're right, with today's names...it doesn't matter anymore. My dad's name is Klinedale James. He goes by KJ b/c NO ONE has ever heard of Klinedale. He's been called everything from Khifate to Klondike. Crazy. Enjoy your blog! I'm popping in from a-z challenge.
ReplyDeleteWow, thanks for stopping by Mare. As you can see, it was a long time ago that I last posted anything. Life has been challenging lately.... I remember Michael Learned and was so happy there was someone famous out there with the same name as me!
ReplyDelete