Many parents don't realize the name they give their at birth will affect many aspects of their lives.
Take it from me I know first hand what it feels like to have an unusual name.
I'm a Wilma Kay by birth.
I was named after my maternal grandmother.
Needless to say my given name has been the topic of many discussions as well as the butt of many jokes.
It really wasn't until I was enrolled in grade school that I noticed my name was a little different from the other kids.
Here I was a cute little red haired girl with a sprinkling of freckles.
Somehow Wilma Kay just didn't fit in with the Debbie's, Susan's and Mary's of the class.
In fact there was not another Wilma in the whole school.
If that wasn't bad enough, I grew up during the time that the Flintstones cartoon program came on the scene.
Can you see where I'm going with this? Now don't get me wrong I think Wilma Flintstone is a great looking woman, but as a child I think I was up against a brick wall.
The teasing was a regular occurrence and after awhile you just accept it and try to keep a smile on your face.
I can still remember the other kids yelling out "Wilma" just the way that Fred did on the show.
If I only had a dollar for every time I have heard that I could have retired years ago.
When I got to high school things really didn't change much.
I was still the only Wilma in the bunch.
Of course at this time the ratio was greater, one Wilma to several hundred people.
The advantage of being named something unique is that everyone knows you.
Weather its good or bad they know you, you never really have to give your last name.
It's almost like being in the same league as Cher or Ringo but on a lesser level.
I just didn't have the fame or fortune to go with it.
I think having unusual name can affect your self esteem, your confidence and the way you see yourself.
I remember wanting to be a cheerleader something fierce.
I learned all the cheers and I thought that I was pretty good.
When the judges called my name on the day of the tryouts, it hits you that "Wilma" is not a cheerleader's name.
Cheerleaders are the Debbie's, Lori's and Nancy's of the world, not the Wilma Kay's.
I can think of many times when I felt embarrassed about my name.
I would cringe when my name was called in a public place.
And then way back in my youth, I had a crush on a guy named Fred.
That relationship would not have gone anywhere, anyways.
Just imagine Fred and Wilma on the wedding invitations.
Well, that would be another Flintstone story, wouldn't it? When I became an adult I thought about legally changing my name.
But I knew that would hurt my parents and my grandmother whom I was named after.
I just couldn't do that, so I just let that idea go.
After many years, your skin gets a little tougher, your attitude a little stronger and your able to ignore the jokes and the comments.
So parents, please give it a lot of thought about your baby's name.
It's a life long journey that doesn't need to be any harder than what it is already.
Who knows maybe things will change when there's a Wilma in the White House.
Take it from me I know first hand what it feels like to have an unusual name.
I'm a Wilma Kay by birth.
I was named after my maternal grandmother.
Needless to say my given name has been the topic of many discussions as well as the butt of many jokes.
It really wasn't until I was enrolled in grade school that I noticed my name was a little different from the other kids.
Here I was a cute little red haired girl with a sprinkling of freckles.
Somehow Wilma Kay just didn't fit in with the Debbie's, Susan's and Mary's of the class.
In fact there was not another Wilma in the whole school.
If that wasn't bad enough, I grew up during the time that the Flintstones cartoon program came on the scene.
Can you see where I'm going with this? Now don't get me wrong I think Wilma Flintstone is a great looking woman, but as a child I think I was up against a brick wall.
The teasing was a regular occurrence and after awhile you just accept it and try to keep a smile on your face.
I can still remember the other kids yelling out "Wilma" just the way that Fred did on the show.
If I only had a dollar for every time I have heard that I could have retired years ago.
When I got to high school things really didn't change much.
I was still the only Wilma in the bunch.
Of course at this time the ratio was greater, one Wilma to several hundred people.
The advantage of being named something unique is that everyone knows you.
Weather its good or bad they know you, you never really have to give your last name.
It's almost like being in the same league as Cher or Ringo but on a lesser level.
I just didn't have the fame or fortune to go with it.
I think having unusual name can affect your self esteem, your confidence and the way you see yourself.
I remember wanting to be a cheerleader something fierce.
I learned all the cheers and I thought that I was pretty good.
When the judges called my name on the day of the tryouts, it hits you that "Wilma" is not a cheerleader's name.
Cheerleaders are the Debbie's, Lori's and Nancy's of the world, not the Wilma Kay's.
I can think of many times when I felt embarrassed about my name.
I would cringe when my name was called in a public place.
And then way back in my youth, I had a crush on a guy named Fred.
That relationship would not have gone anywhere, anyways.
Just imagine Fred and Wilma on the wedding invitations.
Well, that would be another Flintstone story, wouldn't it? When I became an adult I thought about legally changing my name.
But I knew that would hurt my parents and my grandmother whom I was named after.
I just couldn't do that, so I just let that idea go.
After many years, your skin gets a little tougher, your attitude a little stronger and your able to ignore the jokes and the comments.
So parents, please give it a lot of thought about your baby's name.
It's a life long journey that doesn't need to be any harder than what it is already.
Who knows maybe things will change when there's a Wilma in the White House.
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