1.27.2014

the struggle is real

Senior year of high school, I had some struggles with my name. I mean I didn't struggle, but everyone else seemed to. 
name, funny
Note: I don't have one of those names that everyone gets wrong. Brianna. It's simple. Maybe there's the occasional "Rhianna" on my Starbucks cup (obvi Rihanna and I look so much alike- that must be why). Or maybe even a misspelling- but other than that, I've never had problems with people getting my name right.

Well, senior year of high school we had this lovely principal who I shall call Mrs. Airhead. Mrs. Airhead was just that- an Airhead. She once made a speech to the entire school on Pearl Harbor, and how if it had not happened, Hitler would still be the Emperor of Germany. I know…airhead. Anyway, I had to make a speech at graduation, so I was in Mrs. Airhead's office quite a bit towards the end of the year (she had to approve the speeches). She knew who I was. She had my name on a bunch of papers. She said hi to me on the reg.

Now, here's where it gets good. I'm sitting in my government class learning about something boring and irrelevant when Mrs. Airhead came into the class. Only seniors take government at my school, so she was coming in on official graduation business. She proceeded to tell us what would happen if we did something wrong and couldn't walk at graduation, reminded us to get our caps and gowns, and all that jazz. Then she says, "Okay class. Let's pretend Amanda gets in trouble in class." and proceeds to tell a story about Amanda misbehaving. There's no one named Amanda in our class. I realized she was talking about me when she looked right at me and said, "Right, Amanda?" I didn't know if I should correct her, or just let it be. Like seriously I've been in your office every day this week. Amanda?! As soon as she left, the whole class was cracking up. She's an airhead.

Fast forward a few weeks. It's graduation! Since I had to make a speech at graduation, I got to sit on the stage the entire time. So, I was also the first person to walk and receive a diploma. The first person. Here's how it worked: we had a card with our name printed on it. When it was our turn to walk, we handed the card to a teacher and they would say our name as we walked across the stage. Did I mention I went first? It's not like the teacher was tired and worn out from saying over 300 names, so there shouldn't be a problem, right? Wrong. As I start walking across the stage, they announce "Brianna Riley." (Riley is my middle name.) They didn't say my last name. Not that it really mattered, but still. I just looked at my mom in the audience and we both cracked a smile. Way to go. At least I didn't trip.

Do you ever have to deal with the name struggle?
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25 comments:

  1. I have an H in my name and all throughout high school my teachers knew that I spelled Meghan differently, they just could never remember how it was different.

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  2. Omg, this so sad and kind of funny all at the same time cause you're right, Brianna is not that hard!! haha! I have the worst name issues!! Sure, Carissa is different but it's not that hard to pronounce, nor is it that hard to freakin' learn! One time I had a teacher ask my mom, "is it 'Charisma??'" ...really? Charisma?? That's not even close! When I worked as a pharmacy tech and had to talk to people on the phone people would think my name was "Theresa," I guess when the phone is muffle-y Carissa sounds like Theresa??? Whatevs!! Hahaha

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  3. I always know when the teacher is about to say my name with the pause that comes first. Since being in Iceland a lot of people struggle with my name since K is pronounced differently, its usually just easier to not correct them and go with it.

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  4. You should have called Airhead out! Amanda? Seriously??

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  5. Wow, being in her office that much and she still can't get it right. Total airhead. Everyone is always misspelling my name, but it can be spelled like 10 different ways so I don't get upset about me, but it always cracks me up when someone emails me (which has my name spelling in my email address) and then spell it wrong in the email opening. Really?!

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  6. I don't know what I would have done if that happened to me! My last name is Honsberger, which no one can spell and (or) pronounce so I feel ya girlie!

    - Alex @ Radiating Sunshine
    alexmhons,blogspot.com

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  7. As a woman named Jordan, YES. In emails people often put Mr. Jordan. Last week on the first day of class, my professor was checking if everyone was in class. "Mr. Jordan?" It happens all of the time! And if I'm not being mistaken for a dude, I sometimes get it spelled wrong. Jordon or Jorden most of the time.

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  8. I just always had a struggle with my last name (and still do with my married name). People just couldn't seem to pronounce LaVigne correctly. It did help with Avril became popular because it's pronounced the same way! haha!

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  9. My birth name is Amanda but I go by Mandy. My grandma ALWAYS spelled my name "Mandee" Double E. What!? An 'I" I could see but double E? Come on...

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  10. Oh man, that story is hilarious!! How could she be so out of it? LOL My name is Megan, so no one ever gets it wrong, but there are like 18 Megans near me at any given time, so I've always wished for a more unique name!

    xo Megan, Lush to Blush

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  11. Oh I totally have a name struggle!! I was named after my aunt and since I was born no one in my family (parents included) have ever called me by that name. I have been called by middle name since birth lol. I blame my parents for my pretend identity crisis ;)

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  12. omg this is just crazy & hilarious. My issue is just with people spelling my name wrong {it's Jamie, not Jaime!} or not hearing me right and thinking I said Amy or Janie. No. Just no.

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  13. My first name is a piece of cake but my last name has always been an issue. And it's annoying to have to spell out for someone. Mrs. Airhead would be at a complete loss!

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  14. My middle name (which I don't go by or ever say)... people mispronounce it. It irks me to know end, because they usually "make fun" of it, but it is a play on my dad's name (he died when I was 13).

    My last name (married name) is hard to pronounce, because it is German. At my graduate school graduation, they asked all the people will hard to pronounce names to write a "guide on how to say it" on our cards to give to the announcer. She got snippy with me and said, "That's how I would have pronounced it anyway." I'm like, umm okay whatever. The time comes for me to walk across the stage... She mispronounced my MIDDLE NAME. Not just mispronounced it but freaking butchered it. I stopped right in front of here and corrected her. My husband was in the audience and just laughed his head off, because you could hear me. Get this... she said my last name correctly.

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  15. Basically the spelling of my name. And I LOVED being AA in school. always. my name was seriously the perfect name ever. haha, and now that I've gone from A to Z people ALWAYS point it out, aaaaaaand my husbands sister has the same first name as me, so whenever someone calls our name, we both look and it's hard to clarify which ashley they're talking to. hahaha but I was ALWAYS Ashley A in school too. i was never the ONLY Ashley.

    And now that i'm grown up, I've never worked with an Ashley. It's so weird. anyway.. that's all. pointless.

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  16. I've been called Amber more times than I can count. But that at least starts with the same letter. Where did Amanda come from for you?! Haha.

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  17. I love your name! The name struggle is a daily occurrence in my life. My first name is Michelle (one L or two? Did you say Nichelle? what? No.) and my last name is Ilardi (the word lard with two i's on either end). All of my teachers in school would just read my first name and not even attempt to say my last. Lucky for me I have always been the only Michelle in any of my classes!

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  18. I deal with the name struggle all the time! It's absurdly frustrating. But I feel like if your name is Brianna, I'm not sure at all where you get Amanda. I think the weirdest one I ever got was Allella... Not sure where all the extra Ls came from!

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  19. I blog with a nickname because people have such a hard time remembering how to spell my first name correctly. Even when I tell them my name story: Lee like the boy's name because I'm named after my dad. Ann like my Mom's middle name. People say it's a neat name story, but then spell it any other way.

    P.S. One of my students accidentally called me "Grandmom" today.

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  20. Ha! That's terrible. I totally feel ya though. My name is Nikki and everyone insists on calling me Nicole. Or when they hear my name they are all is Nikki short for anything? I always wanna give a smart ass answer like yeah Nikki but I bite my tongue. It's lame.

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  21. I could never put my finger on who you looked like... it IS Rhianna! ;) People always call me Amber for some reason... like, several diff people multiple times. I have no clue why!

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  22. So frustrating! She sounds like a bit of a ditz. People always spell my first name incorrectly (including my brother and grandpa!) AND my last name! Krantz becomes Crans... So I usually have to spell both out to people!

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  23. What..Amanda is not even close to Brianna! Hahaha.

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  24. That must have been a bit frustrating to say the least. I know, I had some issues at my old job when I would have to talk on the phone sometimes and leave my name. I would hear "ok thanks Jessica" more often than not when talking to people I don't know. Or we would have orders come in attention Jessica. Like really? I don't have some crazy accent or anything either. It was always a big joke with our staff though.

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  25. My first name was never a problem. But my last name was always a challenge. Anytime a teacher paused and started stuttering I'd know they'd gotten to me. I'd save them as quickly as possible by raising my hand and helping them pronounce my name. Now I have a super easy last name and it makes me sad.

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