Names and what they stand for

I'd say I am a bit uncomfortable with calling people by nicknames. They just never sound right to me unless I'm really used to using them, so unless I start out calling someone by a nickname, there is little hope of me ever permanently switching over. One of the hardest things I've ever done was switching from calling my parents "mommy" and "daddy" to "mom" and "dad". At first, I had to constantly think about it, and saying their new names sounded wrong and unnatural, but eventually I got through it to where I am today, you know, not referring to mother as "mommy" anymore.

My full name is Zachary Shealy, but my newer friends call me Zach. People who mostly know me for my pre-late middle school days might refer to me as Zachary, and people who don't respect me (at least that's how I always see it) call me Shealy. If it's an adult or anyone older calling me by my last name it's kind of okay, but when it's a peer I often detect condescension and even a bit of malice in their tone and I don't like it*. Maybe it's just my imagination fueled by my natural desire to establish an identity for myself outside of my family, but still, I minorly gag when addressed by my last name.

But anyways, I don't do nicknames. Whether it's some clever transformation of your last name (Sheals, Sheezy), or the popular "first letter of name followed by catchy word" (Z-dawg, Z-man, Z-bag), I don't do 'em. I draw the line at nicknames. Actually, you know what? I exaggerate. Because I often call AJ Dalal "J". Hmm.

*Wesley Gilbert is an exception. He can call me whatever he wants because he seems so genuine.