Imagine, it's the first day of college and you are completely prepared to start off the semester right. Sitting at your desk with your handy dandy pen, big blue notebook, and eyes wide with excitement, you are ready -- until attendance that is. As the professor starts calling out names you begin to zone out, until all of a sudden, you hear "Katherine" and you proudly raise your hand and say "Here." But that was a different Katherine. You put your hand back down quickly and feel your face turning red, but you shake it off. Then you hear "Katherine" again. "Here," you say simultaneously with another voice. Wrong again, and you put your hand down quickly, silently cursing the popularity of your name. Finally, your name is called, and the presence of a third Katherine is made known. The struggle of having a common first name really is real.
1. Your preschool through elementary school experience consisted of you having the first letter of your last name tacked onto the last letter of your first name.
And, if you don't like your last name, well that is just unfortunate for you because you will be forever addressed with it until people are mature enough to tell that there is a blonde Katherine, a brunette Katherine, and a red-headed Katherine -- none of whom look the same. And, don't even get me started when someone has the same first name as you and the same first letter of their last name as you. My best friend and I had that exact situation happen, but we never shared classes and it worked out well for knowing who we would sit next to during AP exams.
2. People always "ask" if you and the other name copier go by nicknames.
When neither of you do, you can see the frustrated “Oh My Gosh, just suck it up and one of you go by 'Katie' to make our lives easier" thought going through their minds.
3. Or, you have way too many nicknames.
You will literally answer to anything that remotely sounds like your name. And, it will always astound you how creative people can get with simple names. "Kit Kat Katniss" for me was definitely a winner for both the “Most Creative Nickname of the Year” and for the “Most Insane Friend of the Year” awards.
4. The baristas at Starbucks always know how to spell your name.
And, because of that, you have been deprived of that salty Snapchat dream of yours. Thanks, mom and dad.
5. You relate well to people who share your name.
Us “common-namers” gotta stick together. You know, to make it even more confusing for people to tell us apart.
6. You get whiplash from turning around a lot.
From walking down the street to going grocery shopping, a number of times you hear your name and think that they are talking to you are endless.
7. There are probably others in your extended family who share your name.
This can be either a blessing or a curse.
8. You have sworn to give your children unusual names.
So they will always feel unique and give baristas everywhere a hard time.
9. And, even though it’s so common, you love your name and you wouldn’t change it for the world.
Really, though...thanks, Mom and Dad.
