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Give some thought to your choices when naming your kids
My first name is "Garold." It's not "Gerald," nor is it "Gerold." It's not "Harold" or "Herald" or "Gerry." Although my friends and acquaintances know me as "Gary," the full, formal first name is "Garold," and I've only met two other people with that name who spell it that way and who pronounce it the way I do. (It's pronounced with a "hard G," i.e., it rhymes with "Harold." (Or, "herald" as in "Hark the Herald Angels Sing.")
Usually, when people ask me my name and I give them "Garold," they misspell and mispronounce it. So I do a little routine about how it's spelled and pronounced. Most people simply remark, "Oh. That's an unusual name, isn't it?" Sometimes people say, "Oh, my. How unique. You must be proud to have such a unique name" -- or something like that.
Let me tell you, brother or sister, having the first name "Garold" ain't no picnic. It's not fun, special, or "unique." It's a pain in the behind.
Parents, take a lesson from this. If you want to give your kids unique baby gifts, find them an antique cradle or baby toy -- DON'T for a second give them some oddball, "unique" name they'll be stuck with the rest of their lives.
If I had a buck for every time someone has messed up my name, or struggled with it after I've explained it, or simply ignored my spelling and pronunciation because they were convinced that "Gerald" was right -- well, I'd be so rich I wouldn't need to write a blog.
(Example: I changed high schools before my junior year. When I filled out the name card to go with my yearbook picture that year, I sort of scribbled "Garold Speer" poorly. The yearbook staff couldn't get the "Garold," but remembered I went by a shortened version. They made it "Jerry," because they failed to remember "Gary." They saw the "ee" in my last name as two loops on a "u." I'm listed in the high school year book for my junior year as "Jerry Spur.")
Take me seriously on this one, folks. Name your kids something simple like Robert or Jennifer. You'll thank me for it, they'll thank me for it. And old Jerry Spur will be proud.
