But I'm not going to tell you just yet. First, a story.
When I was 12 my best friend was Erin Walker (actually she still is, but whatever) and we had always been teased (actually we still are, but whatever) about our same names. We've been called all sorts of really cool things like Erin Squared, or Big Erin and Little Erin, or Erin Times Two. You know, all really, really clever monikers for friends who happen to have the same names. I can't imagine how people came up with those. Seriously.
So, one day I'm in Drama Club (oh yes, I was in Drama Club) and we were giving our names to the really cool 9th grader who I happened to think was super, super cool and she goes "I know your name is Erin (SQEE!) but how do you spell it? Is it E-R-Y-N-N?" And I had to hang my head in shame because my name was NOT spelled in that super cool way that Kimi St. Romaine thought (yes, that was her name, talk about cool spellings!)(now that I think about it, her little sister's name is Erin so she really should have known how to spell it for crying out loud). The very next day, I began writing Erynn S. at the top of all my school work.
Friends and family teased me and assured me it wouldn't last. HA!, I thought. I'll show them. And it stuck. For the next 15 or so years. At the time I changed it back, I had actually been spelling my name with a Y and 2 N's for longer than I hadn't been. Take THAT friends and family! Yes indeed, I did show them.
Where am I going with all this? Oh yes, the name. So, I decided to change it back to Erin for a couple of reasons. First, spelling a name with a Y and 2 N's just to be different is silly. Especially if your name is not normally spelled that way. i fully support non-traditional spellings (unless your name requires an asterisk, question mark or other seriously bizarre ornamentation) but only if it is a part of your God-given name. Not some lame-o attempt at identity differentiation from when you were 12.
Additionally, I was pregnant and considering that Morgan and I had actually fought over Conor's name I was like, I'll be dammed if he goes and changes the spelling of his name after all the thought and arguments we've put into this. And so, I became Erin and I really confused all my (Facebook) friends who only knew me at Erynn. I also took some well deserved ribbing from my family. Whatevs. I can handle it. They put up with my silly spelling on birthday cakes for years.
Seriously, I keep writing and I can't get this to wrap back to where I want it. I'm annoying myself. I'm going to stop and finish this up tomorrow.
2 comments:
You are KILLING ME!!!!!! I was waiting for a great TADAHHHHH her name is Taneha. ;-)
That was almost as long as the first time you told me that story on the phone but not quite. Yet, still the best part is the spelling of it does nothing to change the fact that you and your BFF have the same name!! Priceless. That is almost as priceless as offering us your ATM Pin as the building alarm code. We really do miss you around here. Being the only one to point out the imperfections of others all the time is boring. - Lil Buddy
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