Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Denise Rosenau Column, 4/1/02



How many of us have ever had a nickname?

I’d venture to say that most people at some
point in their lives have been tagged with a name that somebody
thought was either funny, cute, or fitting to their personality
or appearance.

I went to school with a kid named Buck, and
to this day, I don’t remember what his real name was. I do remember
it was a nickname, though. I would expect that he still goes
by that name rather than his birth name.

Sometimes the origin of the nicknames is difficult
to trace. I remember a guy named “Greenie” who was
not green at all. He told me that he got the nickname as a child,
because he always chose the green crayon. That’s a cute story,
and I don’t think he ever minded his nickname.

My family had a childhood nickname for me
that I have always despised. I will never share it with you because
I hate it that much.

Suffice it to say that the only one that ever
gets away with calling me it is my dad, only because he’s “Dad,”
and long-lost relatives that don’t know any better.

You better believe that I am quick to point
out that I now go by my given name, rather than that dumb nickname.
Sometimes they get the hint, sometimes they don’t.

By the end of the family gathering, however,
they are already retraining their minds to call me by my birth
name, because I am so adamant about it. I have been known to
correct a person every few minutes if need be, just to get the
point strongly across to them.

And if you are curious to know what my nickname
is, all I have to say is this – too bad – and I’m not telling.
End of discussion.

Unfortunately, my brother still does remember
it, and has taken to teaching his children to call me “Auntie
(insert nickname here),” which in turn has filtered down
to my own kids.

The straw that breaks the camels back will
be when he tries to teach our baby to call me that. Then we will
have to bring out the big guns. And I have stories that are just
waiting to be told!

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