gvox
Ghost of Love
Ok, something that occurred on another thread has got me thinking..(oh no, the crowd shrieks...lol)
I haven't been called Gabe in quite a while. A little history here: my parents named me Gabriel for it's deep spritual connotation. I suppose they hoped that I would live up to it someday. At school and on the playground tho, when I was younger, I HATED my name. I would be teased to no end about it, being called names like Gab, Gabby, Gabriella, Gay, Gaylord, Gaybe, etc etc, you know kids, if there is a vicious way to mangle someone's name, they'll come up with it.
For the longest time I hated to even see my name in print. I would write G. and my last name on anything I printed. Then as I got into the higher grades in high school, and kids started to mature, especially the girls who thought my name was kinda cute and 'sexy', so I got more used to it and eventually grew to like the way it rolled off the tongue: Gabriel...
At the same time my personal spirituality was deepening and growing (notably, in direct proportion to the further I got away from organized religion), and I grew to love my name and what it meant to my relationship with my Creator. Then of course, being called "Gabe" became demeaning to me, as it was a kid nickname to me and to me diminished the much larger meaning of Gabriel. So I formed quite an aversion to being called "Gabe".
Ok, now, and this is not to flame anyone in particular, I just want to open the topic up for personal thoughts:
- is it acceptable/polite/whatever to call someone by a nickname when the have never introduced themselves to you as such?
- how much do you like/dislike your name? Why? Do you know what it means?
- Do you prefer a nickname or do you prefer your full name?
I know I'm opening myself up here to a good number of funny comments based on the screennames we all go by, but hopefully some thoughtful discourse can come of it?
Gabriel
oops "Gabe" LOL
------------------
"...well the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister!"
BTBS, Rattle and Hum
I haven't been called Gabe in quite a while. A little history here: my parents named me Gabriel for it's deep spritual connotation. I suppose they hoped that I would live up to it someday. At school and on the playground tho, when I was younger, I HATED my name. I would be teased to no end about it, being called names like Gab, Gabby, Gabriella, Gay, Gaylord, Gaybe, etc etc, you know kids, if there is a vicious way to mangle someone's name, they'll come up with it.
For the longest time I hated to even see my name in print. I would write G. and my last name on anything I printed. Then as I got into the higher grades in high school, and kids started to mature, especially the girls who thought my name was kinda cute and 'sexy', so I got more used to it and eventually grew to like the way it rolled off the tongue: Gabriel...
At the same time my personal spirituality was deepening and growing (notably, in direct proportion to the further I got away from organized religion), and I grew to love my name and what it meant to my relationship with my Creator. Then of course, being called "Gabe" became demeaning to me, as it was a kid nickname to me and to me diminished the much larger meaning of Gabriel. So I formed quite an aversion to being called "Gabe".
Ok, now, and this is not to flame anyone in particular, I just want to open the topic up for personal thoughts:
- is it acceptable/polite/whatever to call someone by a nickname when the have never introduced themselves to you as such?
- how much do you like/dislike your name? Why? Do you know what it means?
- Do you prefer a nickname or do you prefer your full name?
I know I'm opening myself up here to a good number of funny comments based on the screennames we all go by, but hopefully some thoughtful discourse can come of it?
Gabriel
oops "Gabe" LOL
------------------
"...well the God I believe in isn't short of cash, mister!"
BTBS, Rattle and Hum