The Art of Nicknames

"Yo Jello whats up!"

"Whaddup diamond maker!" 

"Howdy butter boy!"

"Ahoy amonia boy!

"What's hangin' corny boy!"

"What's shakin' pain boy!"

"Sup vanity boy!"

"Hi 6 paik!"

"Salutations booger boy!"

"hello 재희야"

holy moly. I don't think I can physically handle any more. There are more nicknames out there than I can count, or even remember for that matter. The ones I listed above are only surface level – things I have been called frequently. A prime nickname-maker is Daniel Cho. This man has been curating nicknames for me ever since the good-ol' days of elementary school. Regardless, this Jayden-Paik-name-making-contest has been going for far too long. Once a nickname starts to die down, it almost becomes a competition to see who can make the next most revolting, insulting, horrid, nickname possible. The picture I provided next to this text accurately describes how I feel on the inside every time my friends create a new name for me to be called for the next couple months. I want nothing more but to shred them to pieces and see the life drain out of their eyes (not really <3)

This is Daniel

While Firoozeh Dumas found that her life improved after creating a nickname in "The F Word", I found the polar opposite. These nicknames actually seem to ruin my life because they're all some people know me for; they've ruined my reputation. In fact, they've become so prevalent that hearing my name is like a rare occurence. While Dumas temporarily became "Julie" to fit in with her environment, my friends have turned my name into a constantly evolving collection of nicknames. It's almost like the nicknames don't simplify my identity but actually multiply it. 

Although our experiences are wildly different, they show that names aren't just labels for a person, but titles that shape the way the world percieves us. When Dumas renamed herself, she found more job opportunities–it was easier to open up to people. When I recieve new nicknames, i'm simply percieved as weird or abnormal. But that's what makes them powerful. Nicknames are more than just letters put together to form a word – they have the ability to shape how others see each other, and sometimes even ourselves. That's the art of nicknames.

But until my friends finally realize that, i'm gonna have to get used to pain boy :)