22 Jul Who else wished their name was Lisa, Melissa or Sarah?

Hi, my name’s Cathy, Cassie, Carie, Cannie and sometimes Candy. I have one of those names that isn’t common enough for people to understand the first time I say it. Here’s the standard script

Random Stranger: What’s your name?

Me: Candy

Random Stranger: Cassie?

Me: Candy C-A-N-D-Y

Random Stranger: *silence*

Me: Like the lolly

Random Stranger: Oh, Candy!!

…and then we start the same game with my surname, hurts? No H-E-R-T-Z like the rental car company not like ‘ouch’. Seriously. Because apparently my name is so hard to understand I’ve come to introduce myself as “Lolly Rental car” on more than one occasion.

I always thought it annoyed me simply because it was irritating having to repeat my name and the lolly car speech, but I realised recently it might actually be more than that. I think I’m actually fiercely protective of my name. And I don’t think I’m alone. I’ve seen people who usually don’t have much energy in the morning, lose it at the café dude for calling out the wrong name when handing over a soy late. Why are we so protective of our names, is it that we are defending our honour when we crack it as someone for getting it wrong? As any good psychologist will tell you, it may have something to do with good old childhood. I remember in primary school wishing that my name was Lisa or Melissa or Sarah, something simple and obviouse and common. I was so embarrassed when I had to say my name, which is ironic because as an adult I’m incredibly grateful I have a unique name. Dare I say I’m proud of it. So it could be those of us that have had to stand up for our crazy names as kids, have now turned into the soy late protective name dragons and maybe the Lisa, Melissa, Sarah’s don’t have a care in the world if someone calls them the wrong name?

If that is the case, then with Huxley, Kelby and Zion being the new Lisa, Melissa and Sarah, we are going to have a generation of dragons on our hands.