Sunday, January 11, 2009

Annoyance

Let me just start by saying that I realize I don't have the world's most normal name. Most people couldn't care less about my name, some people think it is pretty and some people think it is horrid. I'm always a little bit surprised by the people who truly loathe my name. It's not like I'm named Beelzebub or Gonorrhea or something truly dreadful. Even so, love it or hate it, this is the name my parents gave me and I am rather fond of it.
I also understand when people occasionally get my name wrong by calling me Angie or Angela or something along those lines. It happens - no big deal. But! But, but, but.....I know a woman, quite well, who insists on calling me either Angie or Angela. (I must confess, in the interest of full disclosure, that I find this woman extremely annoying in general. And she is married to the sweetest man, bless his heart.) Now if this woman were someone I just met or someone I rarely see, I would understand. The thing is, I have known this woman for 8 or 9 years. She and her husband have been to my house many times. We have worked together on several projects. We see each other all the time. She knows my name, she just won't use it. This evening, after telling her for the third time in an hour that my name is not Angela, she said "Oh so what!? Who cares? You can call me whatever you want."
I'm considering Jocephus.

6 comments:

Eric Francis said...

Angelica! *sigh* It's like listening to cathedral bells ring. I heart your name!

Angel said...

Aaaaawww! Aren't you sweet? I actually heart my name, too.

Susan said...

You know I'm dying to know who this person is. And you must also know that you will be forever known to me as Gonorrhea.

Eric Francis said...

Hey, Susan, did you know you can sing your nickname for Angel to the tune of "Mona Lisa"? Cool!

Kelly said...

What a wench!!!!! That's so not right. I'd just like to say that I just love you to death and I think your name is very fitting!

Eric Francis said...

Dear Mrs. Sleeve,

We at the International Association of Jocephi are pleased that you have expressed an interest in adopting the name "Jocephus" in place of your current, possibly less tasteful, name. As the Grand Poobah of the Jocephi Registry, it is my job to shepherd you along the path to Jocephosity.

Please visit our World Wide Web presence (or "website," as the kids are calling it) to download the appropriate forms to become a Jocephus. Remit them to us, written in squid ink on rice paper from recycled Japanese candy wrappers, by llama mail to arrive no later than Thursday, 4 Joc. (July in the Gregorian calendar), along with a large stack of unmarked bills. Yes, good old American currency. If you have to ask how much, you can't afford to be one of us.

We greatly look forward to your joining the Worldwide Jocephus Communion, and will mail you a handsome certificate suitable for framing, a copy of the International Jocephus Directory, and a secret decoder ring as soon as we have your money in our pockets. Uh, the bank ... in the bank.

Sincerely,

Jocepus J. Jocephus
Grand Poobah of the Jocephi Registry
International Assoc. of Jocephi, LLC