Nicknames are a great way to be remembered. Personally, the name my
mother gave me is long and often mispronounced. People call me on the
phone (mostly bill collectors) and splatter my name miserably. They do
it so badly that my daughter tells them the person they are looking for
does not reside here. Now, of course she knows who they are calling, but
that is their punishment for not being able to properly pronounce my
wonderful, unconventional first name. You will not find my first name in
any book giving suggestions for babies" names. I heard, however, that
one person copied it and named their child my first name, however, I"ve
not gotten that verified to this day. This being said, I always use my
nickname, which is easy to pronounce and spell.

Nicknames are fun. They are brief, exciting, and often pinpoint the
person to a tea. One teenager I know has the nickname "Crocodile". He
loves the name and prefers to be called by it all the time. Does he look
like a crocodile? Maybe and maybe not, but he is contented with it, so
what does it matter? Other strange nicknames that I have heard were
"Cash Money", "Onion", "Monday", and "Doll". I truly believe that
parents and relatives bestow these titles on their children, and somehow
they stick through life. Remember the kids you went to school with?
Most of the time you don"t remember the names "Shawn", "Keith", "Julia"
or "Grace", but you do remember "Spider", "Thunder", "Princess" and
"Jaybird". I suppose this is why rappers and musicians keep it simple by
giving themselves unique nicknames that are easy to pronounce and fun.

I know a lady who has only one name. You might have a first and last
name, but she doesn"t. She is a realtor and an artist. She told me her
parents gave her the name of Anne, but she didn"t like it. Perhaps she
didn"t feel like an Anne. (How does it feel to be an Anne anyway?) She
prefers to sign her paintings with one name. So, she went and had her
one name legalized. I might add that nobody else has her distinguished
six-letter name in this town or area.

People also give themselves
nicknames or aliases to avoid trouble. I recall a young man who changed
his name for identity purposes. Especially if a name is synonymous with
a crime, people use aliases to avoid being apprehended by the law. Your
name is important. How many times have policemen pulled people over and
taken them to jail because of their names? Many times a person can have
the same name, but not be the person sought after.

A pastor
once spoke about George Washington, the first president of the United
States. George Washington was upset with a cowardly soldier
who lacked the courage to fight and stand up for his country. And yet
this young man had the same name as President Washington. It is said
that the President told the young man in a stern voice, "Young man,
either change your ways, or change your name!" Your name is your
credential.

Nowadays people use nicknames and user names to
identify themselves on the Internet. That, too, is fun, because a person
can be anyone they want to be. Most of the time the user name (which is
a type of nickname) reveals how they feel about themselves. Names like
"Greatness98" or "BestKind", "Joyous07" or "Serenity66" give you a clue
into what kind of person the Internet user might be."

I believe
people give themselves nicknames for many reasons, but whatever the
reason, as long as they are satisfied and like to hear that name
repeatedly, let them have it the pleasure. The greatest thing about
nicknames is that people can change them anytime they want, and still be
appreciated for who they are. I think the idea of giving yourself a
nickname can add zest to your life. Nicknames are creative, refreshing
and fun!

By: Toni Doswell