howie’s halfpipe

I was reading Jen’s post about her name (or should I say jenny’s post) and it set of similar emotions and reactions in myself.

When introducing myself I normally introduce myself as Howie, or sometimes if I’m feeling a bit nervous or uncomfortable or something I introduce myself as Robert.

Now I’m not a big fan of Robert and it most used when I feel I need to be a bit more formal and if I tell someone my name is Robert then well they should call me Robert.

But as the years have gone by more and more people know me as Howie, which I have to say is a much better name. SO when I get introduced to people its normally “this is Howie”
Rarely is it “this is Robert”

But then what gives people the right to call me Rob. I hate the name rob, and never in my life have I introduced myself as Rob. But it spreads like wildfire, as soon as one person calls you Rob, all their friends and collegues start calling you Rob and then its goes too far cause you cant just tell one person that your name is not Rob that it is actually Robert or Howie. You have to tell half the world and that’s just not logistically possible.

Its got to the point where I write my name as Robert Howie on an application form and when I receive my name badge and stuff it says “Rob Howie”.

There are 2 of my close friends who call me Rob and it doesn’t seem to bother me but anyone else….Dont.

The other problem with Robert is that I am becoming less and less likely to respond to the name Robert. Not intentionally it just happens, like if I am in a room with lots of people and someone on the other side of the room says Robert it hardly blink an eyelid where as in the past I would be quite alert and try and hear what they are saying. But these days because I very rarely get called Robert I don’t notice it that much and when people say it I don’t notice.

Then Howie has its problems too. Of I am in a room with lots of people I constanty here my name. not because I’m some latino heart throb that everyone is talking about but because Howie also is the way that many people say “how are we”. Like “how we gonna pay for this”. So my brain pick up on the “how we” and becomes very alert and often I say “what” as I try to join the conversation about me but then realise its not actually about me and they never used my name.