Try growing up with one of the two most popular girls' names of the decade. Actually in our town, I think it was the most popular. I definitely knew more Sarahs then Jennifers.
I remember my first day of first grade. Mom asking me after school if there were any other Sarahs in my class, and not knowing for sure. I read all the coat hooks and didn't see any, but I swore I had heard my teacher call a Sarah that was not me. It actually turned out being a Tara, whew, right?
Well, the luck didn't last. By third grade, my immediate class contained 2 Sarahs, 1 Sara and a Tara. There was at least one other Sarah in the adjoining classroom. By middle school, I had accumulated a core group of friends. We were all very close, even though it was a fairly large group of 7 of us and 3 of us were Sarah/Sara. Granted by then we'd all become accustomed to answering at all times to our full name. Even when we were by ourselves. Really I should say our friends became accustomed to calling us by our full names at all times. And to this day, it still happens that way.
A funny thing I started noticing in eighth grade was all of us Sarahs/Saras even wrote the same! We had come from different elementary schools and definitely different classes during those formulative years, but we had similar nuances in our writing, especially of our names.
I remember my first day of first grade. Mom asking me after school if there were any other Sarahs in my class, and not knowing for sure. I read all the coat hooks and didn't see any, but I swore I had heard my teacher call a Sarah that was not me. It actually turned out being a Tara, whew, right?
Well, the luck didn't last. By third grade, my immediate class contained 2 Sarahs, 1 Sara and a Tara. There was at least one other Sarah in the adjoining classroom. By middle school, I had accumulated a core group of friends. We were all very close, even though it was a fairly large group of 7 of us and 3 of us were Sarah/Sara. Granted by then we'd all become accustomed to answering at all times to our full name. Even when we were by ourselves. Really I should say our friends became accustomed to calling us by our full names at all times. And to this day, it still happens that way.
A funny thing I started noticing in eighth grade was all of us Sarahs/Saras even wrote the same! We had come from different elementary schools and definitely different classes during those formulative years, but we had similar nuances in our writing, especially of our names.
It was at this time when I started to change my handwriting. I experimented with calligraphy and went from writing my name like every other Sarah/Sara I knew (top version) to writing my name with my own flair (notices the 'a's, those were tough to get a hang of - bottom version).
There was a time when I also contemplated going by my middle name…but I think I was a bit too far in life, and friendships to pull it off. I actually don't think I ever told anyone that before. A little exclusive bit for you, my loyal blog readers.
It still continues today. There's me at my job and we work really closely with another Sarah. Recently a girl came into our office to give us her resumé, my boss asked her her name and she said Sarah. We both started cracking up because we had just been talking about all the Sarahs. The girl looked at us like we were crazy. Ah well, probably not a great fit anyways.
Though there were always plenty of Sarahs around, I've always been pretty even-tempered, so it never really bothered me that much. The only thing that sucks is when people start using descriptors to differentiate the different Sarahs. No one ever wants to be Big Sarah, even if she is a good head taller than the other.
The last names definitely work better for those in the future generations to endure the popular name phenomenon. So all you young Emilys, Olivias and Hannahs out there…just remember a couple things, it won't end when you get out of school, and make sure to instill the last name usage (unless, of course, you have a cool nickname that you prefer), DO NOT under any circumstance let them distinguish you with adjectives! Even if your adjective isn't bad, another's may not be as flattering and you wouldn't want to do that to one of your own.
There was a time when I also contemplated going by my middle name…but I think I was a bit too far in life, and friendships to pull it off. I actually don't think I ever told anyone that before. A little exclusive bit for you, my loyal blog readers.
It still continues today. There's me at my job and we work really closely with another Sarah. Recently a girl came into our office to give us her resumé, my boss asked her her name and she said Sarah. We both started cracking up because we had just been talking about all the Sarahs. The girl looked at us like we were crazy. Ah well, probably not a great fit anyways.
Though there were always plenty of Sarahs around, I've always been pretty even-tempered, so it never really bothered me that much. The only thing that sucks is when people start using descriptors to differentiate the different Sarahs. No one ever wants to be Big Sarah, even if she is a good head taller than the other.
The last names definitely work better for those in the future generations to endure the popular name phenomenon. So all you young Emilys, Olivias and Hannahs out there…just remember a couple things, it won't end when you get out of school, and make sure to instill the last name usage (unless, of course, you have a cool nickname that you prefer), DO NOT under any circumstance let them distinguish you with adjectives! Even if your adjective isn't bad, another's may not be as flattering and you wouldn't want to do that to one of your own.
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