What's In a Name?

I have a friend from high school who once forgot her own name.

Yes. Seriously.

During a marching band rehearsal, the choreographer asked her her name, and she said "Shaquetta". He looked at her and say "No, your real name."

She gave him a blank stare, and had to think for a minute to remember her real name.

I'm afraid my children will be in a similar situation at some point.

I almost never call my children by their real names. With Zoe, her nickname is derived from her name. We've always referred to her as Zo-Zo, and that morphed into Bo-Bo. Not too random of a thought process. At least, not for ME.

Zephy on the other hand. Oh poor Zephy. Not only do people rarely spell her name correctly (Her medical records have been for Zehina T. Longlastname, and are now for some kid named Zepina T. Longlastname) but I rarely call her anything other than Bean.


Maybe I'll get their real names tattooed on their arms. It'll make sure they'll have a permanent cheat sheet to that terribly difficult question of "What's your name?"