(Yeah, this is navel-gazing. I'm amazingly competent at cat-vacuuming when I have bigger issues to contend with. Lemme work through this so I can go slounge
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I think that names are not only identity, but also situational. Or at least the name defines the friendship.
Growing up I was always Kathryn. Always. My father demanded it with "If I wanted to name you Kathy I would have put that on your birth certificate.
In gymnastics I was Kay or Kat for brevity's sake. But that was to teammates and not to the coaching staff or any adults.
In college I was Kat because there were a ton of Catherines we knew and it was easier. My BATT though insisted on calling me Kathryn.
When I moved to LA I was Kat because that is what Lori calls me. So when I started grad school, I was also Kat.
But when my mom called me Kat one day, I almost fell over. That's now how our relationship works. I should be Kathryn to her.
So now, professionally, all of my work folks and my writing project folks call me Kathryn, because I miss that name and because I want to reclaim it. All of my personal folks still call me Kat.
For me, I twitch when people call me Stephanie, because it just sounds so freaking formal when it's spoken, addressed to me. (On paper, it looks lovely, but it doesn't match up with ME when it's spoken.) Some family members (aunts, mostly) still call me Steffie, and I can't dislodge it. Most people who are regular cast members of my life call me Steph, at my request.
Though -- and this is weird -- my mom spells it Stef, and I can actually *hear* the difference in the -ph ending and the -f ending when she says my name.
I just don't *feel* like a Stephanie. I'm not tall enough, for one thing.
This makes me laugh. I don't mind Stephanie or Steph, but I CANNOT STAND STEPHIE. My parents get away with it, and one friend, who it is a joke with (she's Kimmie, and I'm Stephie, but only with each other) and one friend who I cannot break of it, but I love him too much to really care.
and you're totally tall enough to be Stephanie. but only if you feel like it. Own it, girl!
I have gone by Suzi the majority of my life because people never pronouce Susan the way it should be. I am half Iranian, and in Farsi Susan (pronounced Suss-san) means Lily of the Valley. But if it is pronouced with more of a z sound (Su-zun), as most Americans do, then it means needle. While I'm not fluent in Farsi, it still rubs wrong.
My major frustration is when people spell it wrong. I can't tell you how many e-mails I get addressed to Susie, or Suzy. Hello, you are responding to something I sent, check the header for how to spell my ()#))!@# name.
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Growing up I was always Kathryn. Always. My father demanded it with "If I wanted to name you Kathy I would have put that on your birth certificate.
In gymnastics I was Kay or Kat for brevity's sake. But that was to teammates and not to the coaching staff or any adults.
In college I was Kat because there were a ton of Catherines we knew and it was easier. My BATT though insisted on calling me Kathryn.
When I moved to LA I was Kat because that is what Lori calls me. So when I started grad school, I was also Kat.
But when my mom called me Kat one day, I almost fell over. That's now how our relationship works. I should be Kathryn to her.
So now, professionally, all of my work folks and my writing project folks call me Kathryn, because I miss that name and because I want to reclaim it. All of my personal folks still call me Kat.
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Though -- and this is weird -- my mom spells it Stef, and I can actually *hear* the difference in the -ph ending and the -f ending when she says my name.
I just don't *feel* like a Stephanie. I'm not tall enough, for one thing.
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Yup. I can hear the 'e' when people mispronounce my name, La Tep of Tepponia.
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and you're totally tall enough to be Stephanie. but only if you feel like it. Own it, girl!
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The other place it doesn't bother me is when teammates use it in sports. It's part of the camaraderie.
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My major frustration is when people spell it wrong. I can't tell you how many e-mails I get addressed to Susie, or Suzy. Hello, you are responding to something I sent, check the header for how to spell my ()#))!@# name.
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