My name is Abby, so A is my letter.

As a child, I did not like my name.  Neither my first name nor my last name.  Since this is all about A, we'll stick with my first name.

My classmates were constantly rhyming it with scabby, plus I really wanted to be named Natasha or something. 

I am beginning to think there is not a soul alive whose name has never been made fun of in some way.  

Also, I keep meeting people who have dogs named Abby.  If you have a dog named Abby, I do not want to hear about it.  I know that upon introduction- which is when most people with dogs named Abby feel the need to share that fact- people are generally just trying to make sure they remember your name.  I know that.  And it is still annoying, so cut it out!

It is a pretty good rule of thumb that if you meet someone who has an unusual name (not me, admittedly) whatever weird joke comes to your mind in relation to their name THEY HAVE HEARD IT.  They will not be impressed or amused if you utter it. 

A friend of mine has the last name Lange.  People are constantly asking her if she is related to Jessica Lange.  Sometimes, teachers have been known to forget her actual first name and call her Jessica.  She's pretty tolerant and knows they aren't doing it on purpose, but it has really gotten old for her.

For me people make one of these three associations:

1. I have a dog by that name.

2. Like 'Dear Abby'

3. Like the Beatles album, Abbey Road

I do not object to being called Abbey Road, which is what a number of boys did when I was in the 6th grade.  The reason I don't object is because the Beatles are cool.  I don't really mind references to Dear Abby either, because she's widely considered to be smart.  I'm a little tired of people going, "Oh, like 'Dear Abby'! I never thought of that before!" as if this is an amazing revelation.  

I did once meet someone who immediately told me she didn't trust people named Abby.  Honestly, I was so surprised to finally hear someone say something different, I wasn't at all offended.  She explained that it was because of numerous fictional characters named Abby who were evil.  (The only examples she gave were Abigail Williams from 'The Crucible' and Aunt Abby from 'Arsenic and Old Lace'. Can you think of others? I can't.) 

The other reason I didn't like my name was because the full version is Abigail, which I think sounds snooty.  It really didn't do me any favors because people used to be inclined to think I was a snob even without knowing my name and would call me things like "MISS Abigail" or "Abi-gaaaay-ULL" as if trying to hammer me to death with it.  And then of course, my parents only used my full name when I was in big trouble.

I still refuse to answer to my full name, but I like Abby.  I know it isn't a very unusual name, but I haven't met very many others, so there was no confusing me with anyone else at school.  And like I said, people seem to associate the name with intelligence, and I can't think of any other female name in the diminutive form that has quite the same degree of that association.  

I listened to a seminar on being a woman in the business world, in which women are advised to use their full name because the diminutive forms tend to sound too girly (Jennie, Lizzie, etc.) Mine may sound girly, but it sounds like a smart girl, so I will stick with it even for professional purposes.

Also, I get to be near the top of everyone's cell phone list.

In closing, I would like to add that I adore artichokes, and am writing this post to avoid doing algebra.