I get called a lot of things that aren’t my given name. Is it really necessary to pick something else and try to fit into it. I have a friend whose given name is Mylord, didn’t make him rich. A friend from the Army says he knows where he is by what people call him, variations on a theme as it were.

Me, I use my name to know if I’m talking to friends or enemies. Sometimes it gets confusing. People at work called me crazy a lot, I earned that one. I shouldn’t repeat what my exes call me. It’s not nice and this might be read by children. I was known as Heathen in a couple of groups. Most of my life I was addressed by my surname or Sergeant. The truth is that I’ve earned all of them, one way or another.

I guess the strangest was when my father called me sonofabitch or bastard. Did Mom know? Was he trying to tell me I wasn’t part of the family? Childhood was a little confusing.

I’ll just stick with what I was given and make the best of it.

Daily writing prompt

If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?

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