The day I was born my mother and father decided to hand me down a unique, and different name. They named me Maycel Kayla Prescott. Maycel was a popular name in the early 1900’s, but growing up in the 1980’s and early 90’s my name told a different story. Although, I have never met another individual with the name Maycel; I am sure there is someone with my name out there. When I was young, I didn’t understand why my name was different than other girls. I felt like an outcast; I became insecure with my first name. It took many years for me to understand what my name meant, but as I grew older I started to feel more confident, and secure with having a unique name like mine. Despite how discouraging having the first name Maycel was when I was growing
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I was teased by the boys and girls in my class. They made fun of my name rhyming it with childish things like nasal spray (even though that doesn’t even rhyme). Children can be so cruel. My name was different than most children had even heard, so children alienated me, and made me feel like I did not belong. I always felt like my name made me stick out like a sore thumb. All the teasing and feeling different really started to take a toll on my self-esteem. I reached a point even as a young child that I denied the name Maycel altogether; I started to go by Kayla. I began to treat Maycel as if it never …show more content…
Although, I do not believe a name can actually define a person, it is a part of them. As Shakespeare once said, “What is Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man.” Meaning a name is merely a name. Why judge others based on something they have no control over? Why hold others accountable for something they were given at birth? It makes no sense. You do not control where you come from, but you do control who, and what you become. You control your own destiny. A given name will help shape an individual, but does not define, or limit that individual.
My name has helped shape me into who I have become today every step of the way. All the trials, and tribulations I have been through in life has only made my name stronger, and more powerful. Over the years I have gotten over my insecurities about my name, and learned to embrace them. The fears I had about my name, over time, morphed into respect for my name, and respect for my family who handed me down my
I was teased by the boys and girls in my class. They made fun of my name rhyming it with childish things like nasal spray (even though that doesn’t even rhyme). Children can be so cruel. My name was different than most children had even heard, so children alienated me, and made me feel like I did not belong. I always felt like my name made me stick out like a sore thumb. All the teasing and feeling different really started to take a toll on my self-esteem. I reached a point even as a young child that I denied the name Maycel altogether; I started to go by Kayla. I began to treat Maycel as if it never …show more content…
Although, I do not believe a name can actually define a person, it is a part of them. As Shakespeare once said, “What is Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot, nor arm, nor face, nor any other part belonging to a man.” Meaning a name is merely a name. Why judge others based on something they have no control over? Why hold others accountable for something they were given at birth? It makes no sense. You do not control where you come from, but you do control who, and what you become. You control your own destiny. A given name will help shape an individual, but does not define, or limit that individual.
My name has helped shape me into who I have become today every step of the way. All the trials, and tribulations I have been through in life has only made my name stronger, and more powerful. Over the years I have gotten over my insecurities about my name, and learned to embrace them. The fears I had about my name, over time, morphed into respect for my name, and respect for my family who handed me down my