For 19 years I have lived on this earth and for 19 years, I have had my name butchered by the plethora of people I have come into contact with. When I was a child I hated this beautiful name that my parents gave me. I thought it was hideous and honestly I was disgusted by it. I wanted a common name like, "Crystal" for as long as I can remember (shout out to all the Crystals out there).
I laugh when I think about it, because my parents did an amazing thing for me; they gave me a name that (almost) no one else would have. That is a blessing. I am not one of many; I am Piersen Elise Briggs and there is no other like me. When I grew to be okay with my name, I wouldn't care much when teachers would write it incorrectly on my papers. I assumed that they'd get it at some point so I was never pressed. I carried that mentality with me throughout high school, I began to notice that the primary reason I allowed for people to spell my name "Pierson", "Peirson", "Pearson" and call me "Pierston" and other off the wall names was because I didn't want to burden them with the attempt to correct it and honestly, continuously having to correct people is tiring.
I know better now, OK?
Here's the thing though, it's worth it. It may be "just a name" to others, but my name is me. In it's entirety, my name defines who I am to myself and to the world.Your name is unique to you and each time you allow someone to misspell or mispronounce it, you give away a little bit of your power.
And why would you do that?
The misspelling and mispronunciation of one's name is a disservice to that person and shows how little you think of them, if you knowingly continue to do it. This happened to me all through out high school. For four years, I couldn't get my name spelled correctly on official documents, handed back papers and not even my speech and debate T-shirt ( I'm still bitter but that's another story for another time). This was so bad that I was worried my diploma would have a misspelled name on it and in the event that that happened....
I have come to realize that I have a strong and beautiful name. It's fitting because I am a strong and beautiful young lady who is destined for great things.
So, with all of this being said, I hope to impress upon you the importance of demanding respect on your name. Assume the power that it gives you and go on to do and be great under that name! My name is all that I have that is mine in this world and I will be darned if I let anyone take that away from me. No excuses. No compromises.
Signed,
Piersen Elise Briggs
