What's in a Name?

I am woman of many names. Okay, not many but a few.

My given name is: Jessica Marie Schulte.

I think it's lovely. I share my middle with my mom and all of my dad's sisters. It's a "plain jane" kind of name, but it has some history and I like that. My fist name is not an original 1980's name. In fact, it was the most popular name for a girl born in 1980. But my parents didn't know that. My mom just knew she couldn't name her baby after the office hootchie she worked with (or so I am told.) Which makes me laugh. And let's be honest- Schulte is kind of a fun two syllable name. So, in short-- I like my name.

While my given name is great, I come from a family of nicknamers. (Read: my dad has a funny name for anyone he loves...always has). So, from the day of my birth, I was henceforth known to most anyone who loved me as Beaner. At the age of three, I told people that was my name- Beaner Schulte. (That was quickly corrected before I started pre-school!). That nickname has stuck with me ever since. It has morphed into Bean and Beanie as the years went on. My mom says I was "the orginal Beanie baby. (Insert giggle and an eye roll here.) I always knew I was in serious trouble or there was a problem when my parents actually called me Jessica. God forbid--Jessica Marie. If that came out of a mouth, I was really in BIG trouble.

In high school, I started to encounter other Jessicas. And it got confusing. And because I was an athlete (not sure why that has anything to do with it, but it seems to make sense to me), people called me Schulte. Even a boyfriend did and I had to tell him--No. I have a first name and if you want to kiss, that will need to be the name you use. (I have some sass, sometimes.). Anyway, throughout high school, my last name was the name that was used. A few people call me Jess, but most called me Jessica or Schulte. And Jess was reserved for really good friends, not the masses.

Then I became a professional. I work for a fairly casual company where we all get along really well, so easy friendships are formed. Some of those work friends started to call me Jess. That was okay and I embraced it. After all-- Jessica is three syllables and 7 letters to type versus 1 syllable and 4 letters. But then other people started...and it became my name at work. No longer reserved for close pals. People introduced me to business contacts that way, even the client we work for refers to me as Jess. The "ica" portion of my name just disappeaered. And it kind of annoys me.

Yesterday, I was working with some of our volunteers and they just started to call me Jess. I know it shouldn't bug me that much, but it made me crazy. In all my years before now, Jess was reserved for those that know me well. These people don't know me at all. In fact, I don't even really like them all that much and here they were using the name that has always been reserved for closeness. Jessica is how I introduce myself, how I sign an email, and it is actually my name.

I want my "ica" back!

**Note- likely if you read this blog, you are close enough to call me Jess, don't worry.