Rettsch (the bad nickname):
This name wasn’t very creative. It just came from the start of my last name. I heard it a lot in school, sometimes as Rettschy. The people who used it weren’t usually my close friends, and they didn’t know I didn’t like it.
I remember feeling really relieved when I got to college and didn’t hear it anymore. But then, a girl from my hometown brought it up in our dorm room one day. She said, “Remember when you were called Rettschy?” She laughed, but I didn’t find it funny, especially as she wiped her Cheeto-covered fingers on our couch. Ugh!
Hagatha (the honest nickname):
When my family went camping, we used CB radios to talk to each other. We all had special names to use on the radio. I remember some, like Baby Bird and Skeeter. Mine was Hagatha – like the witch. They said it was because I was always cheerful. Ha!
‘Chelle (the good nickname):
This one has stuck with me for a long time. I still use it today. If someone tries to change it to Shelly, I don’t answer. My Grandma Doris used to tease me by saying it wrong on purpose. She knew I didn’t like that. Only Lisa and Tom were allowed to call me Shelly, but that didn’t last long.
Mitch (the name I wanted but never got):
I always wanted to be called “Mitch,” but it never caught on. I don’t know why I liked it, but I did. Maybe one day!
Not all the nicknames I’ve had were my favorites, but they’re all part of me.
The good, the bad, and the honest!
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