What's In A Name

Unusual cruelty for me... at least that's what it feels like...

My name is one of those strange names that can be shortened in a variety of ways. That is.... my real name. Frankie is not my real name.  Frankie, is the name the Teapot gave me when we first started going out together.

When I told him about all the surgery I've had in years gone by and how I spent several months in traction when I was in my early teens he said that it sounded like a scene out of Frankenstein.... Frankie stuck and I've been called that by most people ever since. (I'm ok with it really!)

Meanwhile my real name is what I sign to documents... and how I introduce myself to most people when I first meet them. Usually this leads to an interesting discussion regarding my name when the new person realizes that most of the people I know call me by Frankie instead of my real name. I proceed to tell them the above story and usually people will either be horrified that my husband calls me Frankie, short for Frankenstein, or they will be greatly amused and think it is a neat nickname. The problem comes from my real name which is Barbara.

My mother and father, gave me the name Barbara for a girl who grew up in their community who was a really nice girl and a friend of the family. She died quite young of tuberculosis. Her mother and father had no other children and so became close friends with my grandparents and were lovely always to my mother because of their friendship with my grandparents.... but also to my father who lived next door to them. So when I came along my parents felt that it would be fitting to name me as an honour to their friends.

I don't know when it started or why but my name got barbarized from Barbara to Barbie somehow along the way. As long as I can remember I have been called Barbie by all of my family. Mom, Dad, sister, Aunts and Uncles, cousins.... they all called me Barbie. When I hit about 13 years of age I rebelled. Barbie was that stupid doll that Mattel put out ..... Barbie meant everything commercial.... Barbie meant pink! How putrid could my name be. I suddenly insisted that I be called Barbara and if that was too much then I would tolerate Barb... but never... ever... would I put up with Barbie (the old bag) ever never again!!!

Now most people came to respect my wishes and began to call me Barbara... or Barb.  All through high school I was Barb.... and more and more that stuck. But then I started to drift away from family members.... I had a life of my own.... I became independent.  The people who surrounded me were not the aunts, uncles, and cousins of my younger years. I moved away from home and met Teapot and then things changed drastically for me... as I said even Barb became a rarity.... I feel like Frankie, truth be told, though my parents and sister still call me Barb as do my in-laws and a few horrified friends who refuse to insult me with Frankie (!???)

But every now and again, the people who knew me in my youth and really don't know much about my adult life, will come back into my life and call me the dreadful name from my youth.  If you really want to piss me off just call me Barbie and see what happens... though I would suggest you duck if you are in close standing otherwise you may walk away with a black eye.

And so it came to pass that a cousin contacted me this week and asked me to join a website for our family.... being computer savy (snork), I felt this was something I could do. So I followed all the links to join the website and set up an account.... problem: my cousin had set up the account for me with my name as Barbie.....

Yesterday I spent several hours trying to change it because every time I see it my teeth start to grind! (I'll have no teeth left soon).  I couldn't get it to change. It kept insisting that I am Barbie_------- !!!! Oh horror of horrors.... pink, blond, bubblegum.... Mattel... what a burden I am left to bear.

Barbie!... oh please....

If you read this, oh cousin of mine, please please change that thing for me..... or I'll start calling you Sweet Davy! (and I'll send you flowered underwear... because, remember, I know where you live!)
 : )
Have a good day!