If your parents put a lot of thought into your name or the spelling of it, then chances are you’ve dealt with the butchering of it. Yes, people mean well but they can’t seem to sound things out anymore or listen when you tell them. So, for those who know what it's like, you'll relate to what comes next; if you don't know, you soon will.
When you have a name that is hard to pronounce, you know exactly when they reach your name because they stop and look puzzled. They start to look around the room hoping that the owner of the name would speak up to save them the embarrassment of butchering your name. If you say nothing, there is a one in five chance that they will get it right, which will shock you, but prepare for the worst. The worst usually includes but is not limited to, extra syllables, letters that don't exist and a lack of common pronunciation.
When you have a name that is hard to pronounce, people will try to tell you how they think it should be pronounced. As if, after all the years you’ve lived, you’ve been saying it wrong. Even when you introduce yourself, they will repeat your name back to you, not so surprisingly, incorrect. I’m sure you are used to the, oh I thought I heard you say, insert butchered name here, I’m sorry. Chances are, those people will still continue to get your name wrong even if you keep correcting them.
When you have a name that is hard to pronounce, at some point you won’t care so much. It may be jarring to hear your name with added letters and syllables but you ignore it like a coping mechanism. It’ll start to go in one ear and out the other without you giving it much thought. And who knows, you might pay attention one day and get a huge laugh out of it.
When you have a name that is hard to pronounce, you’ll meet some people that you may call friends. These are the ones that put forth effort to get your name right. These people, keep them close. I mean physically, because they will keep you from having to correct people. Think of these people as your correction squad; summoned to correct people about how to say your name for you. It's a nice experience, having people get worked up on your behalf. They will make sure that people get and remember how to say your name.
When your name is hard, it's okay, it makes you unique. People will remember you even if it is as the person with the hard name. You'll have stories to tell and you'll find out how much you're willing to ignore. But really, you'll learn to thank your parents for being creative and appreciate all the people who get your name right. As someone with a unique name, I can vouch, you get used to it.
