Posts tagged nicknames are essential
I readily admit to name dyslexia, particularly when two names are so close phonetically. If your name is Brendan, there’s a strong chance I’ll call you Brandon a whole mess of times and vice versa. Even if we’ve known each other for years. Just ask my friends Brandon and Brendan; both of whom slightly hate me.
It’s embarrassing enough to continuously screw up a male friend’s name, but do it to a girl you’ve been on a few dates with, maybe even shared a bed a few times, and it’s ghastly mortifying for both of you. There’s always a pause, as she looks up from her plate or glass, wondering if she just heard me properly. I blush, my face going warm with panic at having done this again. She tilts her head to the side, either positioning one ear closer to me or just sternly staring to let me know there’s a lot riding on the answer to her next question. Then her lips move, but I already know what’s going to emerge.
“Did you just call me the wrong name?”
Her words always hang in the air for a split second too long and, before I can offer a less-than-acceptable response, her faces reads plain as day: “You did. You totally don’t know my name.” It’s truly a moment where I’d welcome cramming a Snicker’s bar in my mouth. In fact, I’ve actually shoveled a mouthful of food in while a girl asks the question, merely so I can look up, cheeks puffed, signaling that I’m going to need a moment to speak clearly.
