When I was about 6, I met Angela Campbell. No, this wasn't some journey of self-actualization I took as a child; I met another girl named Angela Campbell. She wasn't a relative, just a girl my age who lived next door to the Nottages (now, they are relatives). And that was when I realized that a name was not unique, that I didn't own it.
Angela and I, we had to strike some deals. We had the same middle initial (M), which added to the issues. When we went to get library cards, I got the M; she was just "Angela Campbell." (To this day, I'm very attached to my "M.") In CCD class, she went by Angela, while I was Angie. Luckily, we went to different grade schools, so those were the major compromises we had to make.
I actually preferred Angie when I was younger. Angela, well, that just seemed a bit stuck up (not that the other Angela Campbell was stuck up; she was very nice.) But Angela didn't seemed to fit me. No one called me Angela until my senior year in high school, when my chemistry teacher started calling me Angela. Since he called everyone else by their last name, I kind of felt this was a bit of an honor and never corrected him. And then I actually got to like it a bit. When I was at Saint Joe's, no one ever asked me if I had a nickname, and they just called me Angela. Now I honestly don't care what people call me, which makes people a little crazy. ("You've got to prefer one!") And, actually, most people just call me "Ang" anyway.
When I was younger, I figured that one day I would get married, and then I'd have a more interesting name. So, I married a Davis. Thanks, karma. When I graduated, I had both names put on my diploma. Or, rather, that was the intention. Name on the diploma: "Angela M. Capbell Davis."
1 comment:
On the diploma, at least you have an "M" you can slide over to Campbell. (a small relief I'm sure)
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I once met another Jeff Schutt (yes, he spelled the first name differently, but it all sounded the same). This caused great problems & unmentionable stress & extraordinary trauma one summer when we both went to Camp Storer. I was assigned his cabin, and he mine, and then we had to switch. Boy I was angry.
We never really ran into each other after that, but I was kind of annoyed at the time that anyone should have my name (even if the first was spelled the wrong way -- "his way" being the wrong way).
My true story for the night.
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