My name is the farthest thing from “Jon Doe.” That includes both my first name and my last name. My first and last name also both fall under the categories of being long, uncommon, and hard to spell and pronounce. But, a positive way to look at it is to mention that my name also falls under the categories of original and unique. While this does make me and others with original and unique names stand out more, it can make some of the simple things in life difficult. These include filling out paperwork, introductions, and phone calls become more difficult. Anyone who has an uncommon or long name can sympathize with me on this!
For instance, scantrons are my worst nightmare. When I have an exam in class and I see my professor about to give out a scantron, the dread immediately sets in. I wait anxiously for a scantron to be passed to me because I need every possible second to fill in as many bubbles of my name as I can before the test begins. The first thing I do though when I receive the scantron is count the amount of spaces we have been given for our name. More often than not, I do not have room and therefore have to shorten my name leaving my professor with the job of figuring out my full name. Then I go about the tedious task of filling in all of the bubbles.
When it comes to spelling my name, I don’t even give people the chance to try and spell it. I usually just begin spelling it for them, making both of our lives either. Granted, there are many ways to spell Mackenzie, so I give all the Starbucks baristas props for even attempting it and sometimes getting it correct. It is even worse when I have to spell it out over the phone. I usually have to annunciate by saying phrases such as “C as in cat” so it is ensured that the person on the other end of the line gets each letter correct in my never ending name. That example in particular comes more into play when telling someone how to pronounce or spell my last name.
Last but not least, the comments about how different my name is, may be the most irritating. I cannot tell you how many times I introduce myself as Mackenzie, and in reply I get, “Isn’t that a last name?” Or something along those lines. They also just assume I like certain nicknames. In regards to my last name, I always have to say my last name twice because people need time to process the length and correct pronunciation. All in all though, these are just very minor things. While I sometimes wish I had a more common name, I know in the long run it will be beneficial to have such an uncommon and difficult yet unique name. There is a very strong chance that there won’t be many people in the world with the same name as me, making me truly unique and my own person!
