You know, I've never disliked my name. Actually, I like BOTH of my names just fine... but the BOTH is where I run into problems. Apparently, my parents couldn't really decide between Melanie or Melinda, so they decided that if I weighed less than 7 pounds, I'd be Melanie, and if I weighed more than 7... well, then, I'd be Melinda (because apparently that's the name for heftier girls. ;) BUT... Melinda wasn't really what they wanted to call me. They wanted to name me Melinda so they could call me Mindy.
So... since most people don't even know that Mindy IS a nickname for Melinda, I've had a lot of confusion. When I was a teenager I had a boyfriend for MONTHS before he came to one of my violin recitals and saw Melinda on the program and realized that my name wasn't just Mindy... he was shocked. I had a Melinda in my ward once that almost got angry at me because she insisted that Mindy was not a nickname for Melinda. My own husband doesn't know how to introduce me to people.
Now, you'd think I could just pick one and just ALWAYS be called that, but this is the problem: If I decided to go by Melinda, I'd have to make my whole family change what they've been calling me for 34 years, and that's just weird. If I decided to always go by Mindy, then I still have the confusion when people see Melinda written on official documents. There is just no easy way.
So, I've switched back and forth. Half of elementary school I was Melinda, the other half Mindy. I was Mindy through the rest of school and in our early marriage. I tried to go by Melinda where we bought our first house, but Brandon introduced me as Mindy once, and it stuck. The next house I went by Melinda, and the place we live now... most people call me Mindy because there was already a Melinda at the gym where I taught classes, so Mindy went on the schedule and it's mostly stuck... but about 1/4 of the people here still call me Melinda. I never know who to say it is on the phone, and I end up confusing people half the time.
The moral of the story is, be careful when you name your kids. I really do like my name, but I don't even know if I'm a Melinda or a Mindy... how can anyone else know? So... which name do you think suits me better?
24 comments:
I actually like to call you both at certain times, and i like when i hear brandon call you melinda...but i don't think i could ever just call you melinda...so i guess you will just have to keep going by both...good thing they are both cute.
Hmm. I am actually liking Melindy! Best of both worlds!!! Seeing how I forgot your name was Melinda, I guess I would always call you Mindy. They are both pretty names, so either way you are set!
I have always known you as Mindy, so I never really think of you as Melinda. I do think that both names are very pretty though.
I understand the name confusion! My real name is Lisa, but most everyone knows me as Niki. You just do what feels best for you. I know you as Melinda and probably always will. There's no way to get rid of one name or the other...the trick is just going to be remembering who knows you by which name....good luck with that! ;)
I have the same problem. I don't really have a solution, but most people call me Sha. They even have my name like that in the ward bulletin. It used to be that just family and close friends called me Sha and everyone else called me Shalene. When you are being serious and self-righteous and bossing me around:) I think of you as Melinda. When you are my friend, you are Mindy! Ha HA-just kidding.
That is so funny Sha! :D I guess I'd rather be known as Mindy then... ;)
Stop being silly, Mindy. Melinda never was your name.
I like them both. And I know you as Melinda. But I love Melindy the best.. So I am going to throw a third name in and call you Melindy. But don't worry. I don't know very many people that know you...so I don't think it will confuse anyone. :)
melinda sounds too formal for you... and you are not a formal person (at least i don't see you that way). i say mindy... and don't you know... what ever i say is gospel!!!
I vote Mindy! That is all I knew you by. Funny! Nicknames in our family NEVER stick. My husband was always going to call me Allie. Yeah, that lasted like a month!
I'm in trouble!!! Or maybe I should say, my kids are! ALL my kids go by different names than their actual given names {Tillie-Matilda, Gabe-Gabriel, Jack-Jakoby, West-Weston}. We won't name a kid something unless it has a really good nickname!!!
I say Melinda is for "strangers" and more formal situations. Mindy seems a lot more cozy and friendly.
i vote for "super awesome cute girl who claims to be in her thirties" or "trouble" but i guess "mindy" would be a close third
You'll always be Mindy to me... :0)
Hey now, I'm in her old school where this whole community knows her as Melinda, so I'm uncomfortable calling her Mindy. Funny how different people's reactions can be depending on geography!:) Love all your names, mean- violin-teacher-lady.
How frustrating for you! I consider you to be Mindy. It fits. :)
I'll just call you Jimmy
I love Mindy. It is like Kim or Kimberly. It is whatever that person wants to call you. I gave Lexi the name Alexia so she could choose what she wanted. So I vote it is what you want it to be.
I have to agree with whom ever said "Melinda is to formal for you" I like Mindy, I like Melinda too, don't get me wrong, but you are Mindy to me.
Melinda. But that's all I ever heard you called, so idk. Mindy is way cute too. I'll still always call you Melinda though; it would feel weird to call you Mindy.
This was seriously one of the debates we had when picking names. I didn't want any name that could have a nickname--I can definitely see it being confusing!!
But all the same, MINDY fits you best!It's cute and upbeat and fun...just like you!
I completely feel your pain. My full name is Jake D. Oyler, and for most of my life is thought it was Jake D Oyler. The D doesn't stand for anything, so it's not short for anything, so why would there be a period. Well, low and behold I took out my birth certificate...and there it was....the D did indeed have a period. WHO AM I! I've had a small sense of identity crisis since then!
I love you and all your names no matter what they call you :) Besides...it adds to your mystery appeal LOL HUGS
my name is marsanne and it was like a race at the beginning of every school year for me to get out marci before that teacher butchered my name that no-one knew me by....i feel your pain. i think we should just call you talula bell. or cutie pants.
;) i really like mindy best.
I'll always think of you as Melinda because that is all I ever knew you as...then when I started reading your blog and saw people calling you Mindy, I was feeling all left out, like only your closest friends knew you as Mindy and since I knew you as Melinda, I wasn't a close friend! LOL! Then I realized you go by both and didn't feel bad anymore!
Melinda gets my vote, but I will probably call you Melindy the next time I see you!
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