Nicknames

For some reason, I've been thinking a lot about nicknames and how they can mean different things. I guess because I'm called a constant stream of nicknames, mostly in varying forms of my last name. But there are differing connotations for nicknames, I think. You can be called a nickname and you are being accepted as a friend. Another use of a nickname is to demean someone and hurt their feelings. Or a nickname can mean that there is no chance for a relationship with a guy/girl. The last one is a little different from the other two noticeably.

But first, being accepted. It always feels good to be accepted by a group of people. Nicknames can make a friendship more inclusive. Or it can mean they don't remember your name, but let's go with inclusive. For example, my friends call me "Tank" or "Tankdawg" or "Tankie" depending on the person. Having a nice nickname just feels good. Feeling accepted is a big part of life. Nobody wants to float through life nicknameless and unaccepted. That's just not natural. It's not natural for people to be alone. Otherwise there wouldn't be like 6 billion of us on the earth.

Having a bad, mean nickname is a different story though. Now, I'm sure everyone has been called names by an older sibling or bullies at school. Does not feel good at all. Maybe it's butthead, moron, retard, wide-load [for the heavier ones out there], but regardless of what name it is, it hurts. It can tear you down inside and out. You'll dwell on the negative thing portrayed in the nickname and it can truly hurt. I know. For years on end, my brother continuously called me Ugly and it used to not bother me. Up until middle school I never let it bother me, but then the awkward years hit me. And I believed him every time he said that. I never went out with friends or anywhere. I hated going to school because I thought that everyone was making fun of me like my brother was. But I eventually got over that hump in my life and now I couldn't care less what my brother says about me because I know he's just trying to be an ass... and succeeding. So, I guess what I'm saying is, try not to listen to everything people say too closely? I don't know.

But when a nickname comes from someone you like, that's a killer. Because you know there will NEVER be a relationship in the future. When you get a nickname from a guy/girl you like, it's game over. It's like you are shut into the FRIENDS ONLY vault in their mind. That place sucks, by the way. There's nothing worse than hearing that nickname come out of his/her mouth because you know it's friends from here on to the end of time. You start to hate that nickname haha. I know I did. I just wanted to scream. It's happened on a few occasions and it's just annoying. You wish you could turn back time and have them NOT say it. But I don't know. All I know is it sucks to like a person and they don't like you back. But that's common knowledge I suppose.

This post is kinda lame and cheesy, but I just have been thinking about that a lot. Because I frequently hear all three types of nicknames on a daily basis. And I wish it was only two of them.