Michelle from Tallahassee, Florida, says that when she was a kid, she decided on the first day of kindergarten that she would tell her teacher that she went by a different name, so that’s what everyone at school called her. Imagine her mother’s surprise on parents’ night when she couldn’t find her daughter’s desk or any schoolwork with her name on it. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Nom de École”
Remember our discussion about the option to change your first name?
That prompted an email from Michelle Kazmer in Tallahassee, Florida.
She writes,
When I started kindergarten, the teacher asked each of us if we went by a name other than the one appearing on her roster, like Jamie instead of James or middle name Patrick instead of a first name.
And she wrote the preferred names we told her on our crayon boxes, reinforcing for us how to spell our names and reminding her of what we like to be called.
I told the teacher with 100% confidence that I had always been called Shelly by my family and everyone else since birth.
I spelled it out for her carefully and very emphatically, S-H-E-L-L-E-Y.
All the students in the class and the teacher called me Shelly.
I wrote Shelly on all my worksheets and so forth.
Imagine my mother’s 100% surprise and shock on parent night when she couldn’t find my desk, nor any of my written work because they didn’t use surnames on their written work.
The conversation reported to me between my mother and the teacher sounds priceless.
Prior to the first day of kindergarten, I’d never been called Shelly.
I didn’t know anyone called Shelly.
There was no reason at all except in my own five-year-old head for this change, including this slightly idiosyncratic spelling.
I remained Shelly for all of kindergarten and then went back to Michelle starting in first grade.
I still can’t explain solidly why I did it, and I hadn’t thought about it for some time until I heard your show.
Oh, kids are the best.
I love that story so much.
It just reminds me of my five-year-old mind and how I was so sure of something.
Just absolutely.
You know, no question.
I just absolutely believe that when I grew up, I was going to be a boy.
And also that I could dig a hole in the backyard and go all the way to the other side of the world.
And I tried.
And we got about two or three feet down.
But, you know, when you’re five, you just kind of.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The world’s things are possible.
Right.
And imagination is unlimited.
Right.
And my name is Shelly.
I just love that story.
Oh, Michelle, not a Shelly.
That’s a wonderful story.
Thank you for sharing that with us.
You know, we’re still looking for your tales of changing your first name.
These are good.
We love them.
Serious stuff, too.
As an adult, why did you decide that you had a different name?
What worked for you?
How did it finally click and you knew that’s who you were meant to be?
Or email words@waywordradio.org.
