So the other night, my Irish uncle-in-law came to our back door baring gifts of books as a sort of apology. It would seem a little birdie from Canada flew a message over the pond to inform him of my distaste for being called Kathy.
I know it seems I can border on the obsessive, fanatical, and maniacal when it comes to Kathy. But it simply isn't my name. You might as well call me George or Frank. I have nothing against the name Kathy, it is a lovely, good, and fine name. It simply is not MY NAME.
So, what is my name?
Fair question. Also a deceptively simple question.
Why?
Because the answer is not so simple.
What does this have to do with traveling and living in Ireland?
Not a damn thing.
My name is Katherine. It is also Katy. I've been known to be called Kate (it has been a pet name of my dad's for years). I'll even answer to K, not Kay, but K (called out by my mom from downstairs when she's trying to get my attention).
It amuses me when people ask me for, then press me for, then outright demand to know my preference.
Not Kathy. Anything but nails-on-a-chalkboard-Kathy.
The simple truth of the matter is that I identify with Katherine, Katy and Kate and I like having the choices. Sometimes I feel more like a Katherine, sometimes more of a Katy, and every now and then like a Kate. I like them all. What I don't relish is the thought of ever having to choose just one or worse have people only call me just one. Mark only calls me Katy, though I've heard him refer to me as Katherine. The opposite for Jane, she calls me Katherine but will talk about me as Katy. Mom, Dad and Christy all call me Kate, Katy, Katherine and knuckle-head, interchangeably and in no particular order. Here are some guidelines and scenarios to help illuminate the meanings behind the variations:
Katherine (formal) how I introduce myself 80% of the time, for use in work, school, unfamiliar settings, settings in which I wish to appear smarter than I actually am, and signing things such as credit card receipts
Katy (informal) how I introduce myself 19% of the time, for use in church, bars (go figure that those two are on the same list), also used by people at work or school who either a) think Katherine is too formal and ask me for an alternative or b) have spent anytime with my family and picked it up.
Kate (the final frontier) though I have long answered to Kate I have only in the last year or so actually started referring to myself that way (1% of the time) and even then it has mostly been at Starbucks:
Katherine.
What?
KATHERINE.
WHAT?
way too hard to hear so...
Katy.
What?
KATY
which kept ending with a slightly annoyed Katy holding a cup that said Katie (another not-my-name peeve for another useless blog session)
so then I moved on to
iced venti, non-fat 2 pump white mochas no ice for KATE.
how many pumps was that?
2 pumps.
and I'm sorry you said iced but no ice?
Well, I want it cold but no ice.
Huh?
I know, I have issues.
All 3 of me :)
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The adventures of Mark & Katy
About Us
We met March 4, 2005 in San Francisco, and wed a little more than a year and a half later on December 6, 2006 in the Dominican Republic. Mark is a proud and noble Canuck. Katy is California born and bred. We celebrated our first year of wedded bliss spending the year in Europe... stay tuned to see where life leads us next... we're also curious to know where that will be!
Places we've both been
- Andorra
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Hercegovina
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- China
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- England
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Portugal
- Romania
- Scotland
- Serbia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United States
Places only Mark has been
- Costa Rica
- Indonesia
- Jamaica
- Philippines
- Singapore
Places only Katy has been
- Bermuda
- Cameroon
- Grand Cayman
- Iceland
- Luxembourg
- Norway
- Poland
- Slovakia
- Wales
13 comments:
No matter what you're called you will always be the friend who tells me to pivot when making a right hand turn and who says "oops!" when dropping jelly, pasta sauce or chocolate on the floor. Would a Kathy do that?
When your dad and I named you and your sister we chose names we liked and also the nicknames we liked best. Since Sandy and Christy both ended with a "y", it only seemed right to spell Katy with the same end letter. I guess I always thought you'd be Katy and we were very surprised when you came home from Montessori preschool at age 4 and announced that you had learned to write your name: Katherine. One of the reasons I liked Katy was that it was such a short name to write. So much for that good plan. Anyhow, you were Katherine at school from then on. It became very easy and natural to call you by whichever nomenclature came first to mind--or sounded best in the particular context. I think it had as much to do with my mood of the moment as with any personality traits of yours. I was always a bit surprised that non-extended-family-folks thought it was odd that we called you by a number of different names. They all seemed to fit--except for Kathy--we did not choose that nor does it describe our KKKKK Katy.
Funny blog! I am never quite sure how to introduce you -- Katy/Katherine are my usual choices and I now realize I seem to use the same criteria as you do. You're definitely Katy on New Year's Eve.
If it makes you feel better, my stacks of official house documents came in as "Eddie Lambert, an Unmarried male".
When they fixed it, I was correctly though unhappily designated an "Unmarried female", as if to either warn or invite loan officers across the nation.
A question for you-- has anyone tried to call you "Kat"??
Actually Ryan Yamamoto was the first person who ever called me Kat. Claudia does sometimes, as does Mark's friend James (the good dancer, you might remember). But that's it. I don't mind it and I'll answer to it, though I don't really think of myself that way. Kind of like 'K" I spoke of on the original posting.
I guess a guy who answered to "Yammy Yams" can take certain liberties with names!
Katy--
Interesting blog, especially since I so easily identify with your dilemma. I am "Kathleen," and I was meant to be called "Kate" as a baby, but my father's okie family began calling me (agghh, I hate this name!) "Kathy" when I was just a babe. My mom gave up on "Kate" and henceforth was referred to as "Kathy." I HATED MY NICKNAME MY WHOLE LIFE--that is, until I went to college and a girlfriend of mine started calling me "Kate." I realized that I could be called anything I damn-well pleased, and I asked all who knew me to call me "Kate" from that moment on. I was comfortable as "Kate" from the get-go, and almost everyone from my former (Kathy--ew!) life converted to the "Kate" moniker. Funny thing: Some of my dad's family still insists on calling me "Kathy." I just call them "Arses!"
non-Kathys of the world UNITE!!!
So many comments, so little time for you to read them all. Actually, I guess Kat(herine)/(y)/(e) has noting but...anyhow:
In no particular order:
1. I remember refusing to call you anything buy Katy at one point shortly after your declaration. Only because at the time it pissed you off. Glad you're more flexible on that one.
2. Sorry to all with the moniker who like it, I'm with you, Kathy is lame. Although it always makes me think of Carol White who insists on calling us Chris and Kathy. I don't identify with Chris, except when called that by 3 people--Beth, Caryn Otto and my husband. I don't mind it, (just don't call me Chrissy) I just don't think people are talking to me--above three excluded.
3. Edie/Eddie--I'm assuming this means you found a house? I want details, but don't have your email. So, blog post us the 411.
4. Yammy Yams? I wish I could alert the media. Oh, yeah, they know. That's hysterical!!!
5. Bottom line, it's good to be flexible on the name thing--I now realize that for all the years mom mixed up Katy and Christy it wasn't her fault. It's just what happens with kids when your yelling--a random mix of names spews out. I always assumed it was because they started with the same sound, if not the same letter. I know now this is not the case. Or, as I daily mix up Will and Colin which sound nothing alike, is my excuse!
Hilarious! As a Bethany/Bethy/Beth, I definitely relate! Funny how people are so weird about wanting to nail you down to just one, huh? I find that too, and I'm cool with whatever, just not Stephanie, which I get a lot. Christy--I had to laugh at your post! I know I call you Chris (which Caryn picked up from me....sorry), but the funny thing is that I don't identify you with the actual name Chris, either; it's just a shortened version when I'm too lazy for two syllables (and "Christ" seems a bit sacrilegious). Katy...you're on to something here. I see a book in your future, where each chapter explores how people weird out over their names. Glad you're having fun on your adventure!
I'm actually thinking maybe I should add Christ to my repetoire...no sacrelidge intended. Now, if I wanted you to call me J.C. that might be taking it a bit too far. (Turn the E into a J by taking off the top and middle lines and flipping it, then reversing the initials....maybe I am JC. Mrs Pogue would be proud!)
This is mark, If you add a y to my name I'm marky, or if you put heysoos in front of it, now its heysoos marky, flip it around and dice it up into little chunks and I can pretty much make up any name I want. ... but then what would be the point. mrs heysoos kat(hy)(e)(y)(herine) is sitting here laughing at me...
Kat(herine(y)(e) and Marky really are onto something. Just as I was never Johnny except for 2 elderly ladies when I was young and respectful of my elders (now I are one - UGH!), I will not accept JPeey! jp
This is Katy
or better yet
Jay Pee Pee
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