Hello, my name is

From as far back as I can remember, people have gotten my name wrong.  My first memory is from the gym where my mom and dad would occasionally play racquetball.  I was between 4 and 6 years old.  My mom was introducing me to a friend of hers and she said, "Go ahead, tell them your name." I was a shy kid, so my mom had coached me up on this. She said to look right into their eyes and speak very clearly. So, with that in mind-
I said, "My name is Lindsay."
They replied with a, "Leslie?"
I said, "No, Lindsay."
"Leslie?"
A little louder, I said, "Lindsay."
We ended on, "That's a pretty name Linda."

That was the first of what would become a life long dialog for me. When I graduated from high school, the principal announced my name as Lenslay Elsabeth Etler (instead of my real name, Lindsay Elizabeth and a different last name not pronounced Etler). I actually paused on stage, because I wasn't even sure if she was calling my name or not.  No one clapped for me, they didn't know it was me that was graduating. I didn't know if it was me graduating.  I actually paused so long, the principal ended up reading my classmates name along with mine.  "Lenslay Elsabeth Etler and Thomas Evans."  We walked across the stage together to receive our diplomas.  That was the first time we had ever met- me and Thomas.  To this day he probably thinks he graduated with someone named Lenslay.  He head banged to the Star Spangled Banner.

Brian's first job was as a youth pastor for a local church.  He worked there for 3 years.  I ended up acting in a church play and was a guest speaker for a women's event.  The things I got roped into at that church:) Those are two things that I will never forget, but what I won't forget even more, was that many of the members there referred to me as, "Leslie."  I ran into one of the associate pastors last week at the gym and he ended our conversations with, "It was nice to see you again, Teresa." I was tempted to screw up his name too, but I resisted.  It would have been really fulfilling to call him Marcus, instead of Mark.  He got points in my metal book for originality, though.  Teresa was a good one and it didn't even start with an "L."

Brian and I had a neighbor who used to used to call me Leslie, Lindy, Lisa and would occasionally even come up with a Lindsay.  He was my favorite wrong-name-giver because he would change it from day to day and sometimes even throughout a conversation.  He was 87 years old, so I didn't care.  He could call me whatever and I would still love being his neighbor, plus by this time in my life I've had lots of practice going by other names.

I used to try to ever so lovingly and with great enunciation try to correct people.  Occasionally, I would even spell it out for folks.  Every once in awhile, I give people a name association.  I say, "Lindsay, like Lindsay Lohan."  I used to say Lindsay Wagoner, the Bionic woman (that proves how long I have been doing this), but not enough people knew her.  Most of the time, I just smile and go with it.  Hey, so long as it's close, I'll take it:)

Today at the gym, I was saying hello to Janet, one of my favorite ladies to see at the pool.  She and her husband, Jervis, do water walking.  We often share a lane.  She was amazed I remembered her name.  Then she called me, "Leslie."