Ever since I can remember people have always mispronounced my name. That's fine, it's easy to do. My given name is Karin (pronounced Car-in) NOT Karin pronounced...Karen. I'm of blessed Scandinavian heritage, hence the difference. I have always gone by Kari, pronounced (Car-E) NOT to be confused with Wall-E or Carrie. My parents should have stuck double AAs in my name, Kaari, then maybe people would get it right. Or they'd still call me Carrie and say that there's been a mistake, somebody put 2 As in your name. It's always bugged me that people don't pronounce my name correctly even AFTER I have politely corrected them. No kidding, I have been at dr.s appts. IN PERSON and said, :
"Hi, I'm Kari and I'm here for dr. so and so."
"Oh, Carrie, yes, have a seat and she'll be right out."
"Oh and Carrie, can you sign this please..blah, blah , blah"
I have nothing against the name Carrie, but it's not MINE. I've never been overly fond of the name Kari, but it is mine, so call me that.
Once at EFY, I was mortified to arrive at my dorm room and find that the name tag ON THE DOOR for EVERYONE TO SEE said KARL...yea, with an L!!! Seriously BYU, didn't that look a little silly to you? As a 16 year old who really didn't want to be there in the first place, not a fun first impression. Oh well, I still got called "Carrie" the rest of the week. I really don't think my name is that difficult to get right. Is it? I feel silly correcting people though. Maybe that's why my sweet elderly neighbor has called me "Carly" for the past 3 years. I respond kindly everytime, I'm used to it. I like it better than Carrie. At least he's got the correct vowel sound going.
I answer to "Carrie" if it's in social passing and I won't be seeing that person again, no big deal. However, I've found that other people want to be called by their given names as well, imagine that. Once I called a lady whose name I THOUGHT was pronounced "Elaine"..."Elaine" and without blinking she shot back...."It's EILEEN"...oh excuse me. I felt like the biggest dork. How I wish I could do that...like EILEEN, with such force.
My mom told me that I was going to be named Jill Christine. Isn't that a fun name. So much simpler. Jill, I like that name. However, you can't play around with it much. Now Kari....there's a name to screw up. I won't even mention what name goes in the MIDDLE!
SIDENOTE:
There was an answering machine message the other night for a mister "Wayne Thomas." I even laugh as I type it out. Nothing wrong with the name Wayne, it's just that that's not my husband's name. Not even close. Not even by any stretch of the imagination. His name is Kyle, it fits him, he's a....Kyle. I had to call him immediately and share all the occasions where we could use his new "pet name." -Wink Wink- He was thrilled!
Wayne and Carrie sittin in a tree....
10 comments:
Kari I have to confess I have been blog stalking you but this post pushed me into the no-longer-secret-have-to-leave-a-comment mode. Everyone messes up my name too. Not for the same reasons but still my name is Amberly, nothing else. I am OFTEN called Amber or Kimberly or I'm not sure why but Kimber. There are a few people in my life, like you neighbor, who have never gotten it right. They are usually elderly and so out of respect to my elders I suck it up and let them call me Amber even though that IS NOT my name and no one else calls me that. Glad to know I'm not the only one.
Your writing always makes me smile. I have to admit when i learned your real name, i thought it was "Karen", but you are not a "karen" or "Carrie"...Kari fits you perfectly...I will correct for you emphatically if I have to when we are together K? Love ya!
That was a Hilarous post! Thanks for the laugh. I relate, NO ONE gets my name right. I give up trying to correct them too. Larissa "La Rees a". I have heard sooo many ways, but that.
Huh, I don't think I've ever gotten your name wrong, and I found myself staring at the spelling of it and wondering how people get it wrong? My sister-in-law is Cara (Care-A), and our Norwegian grandparents were shocked that her parents spelled it with a "C" instead of a "K". You can't win.
Oh, you haven't missed the birthday. I'll be watching General Conference on Sunday and blowing out thirty-something candles.
So Carrie-I've always loved your name!! I must admit that one of my childhood delights (yes, I said delights) was when we would be heading to Fairfield, CA, and we would drive through Truckee!! It never got old, Kari and Truckee, or Carrie and Wayne, it all works. I will soon post a little something about my own name, which has never ever been mispronounced-I will say that not long after Paul and I were married, we received a piece of mail for "Phil and Kristen Gross"-yes, that Phil and Kristen must be quite a pair and I bet they'd double with Wayne and Carrie...
-xoxo-Kir
Kari- I learned all too quickly once that your middle name was no joking matter. I believe we were at the dinner table (this was quite a few years ago) And I called you by your first and middle name, bad move, the room got quiet (crickets chirping), Kirsten shot me a look like "don't go there!" Too late I went there and didn't quite like where I was. Sorry about that. Time heals all wounds right?
Your favorite brother-in-law named Paul
Yes, I know I don't blog but I must say that I enjoy reading yours when I can get to it! I have never really had the experience of anyone messing up my name but I do get mail for a "Cinnamon" Madsen, I'll let you guess what occupation that name would fit. Our dryer started burning our clothes last summer so I called GE to have someone come look at it. The gentleman who took my call was obviously from another country so I wasn't even sure anyone would be coming to my rescue. Well I underestimated GE and a serviceman showed up to our home a few days later and he said, "Hello Mrs. Napkins I'm from GE." I guess Napkins sounds like Madsen, go figure. So sure enough on the receipt it says "Jessica Napkins." Maybe I should have signed "Cinnamon Napkins" that could be my alias.
By the way I think your name is one of the prettiest names I've ever heard!
Kari - My name gets misspelled and misprounced all the time. I'm always called Laura - not my name. And my baby's name is Mia pronouced Mee-ah, but she gets called "My-ah" at every doctor's appointment we go to (and we go to a lot!). I think here we go, I think she's going to get it her whole life.
Ohhhh, we're feeling your pain at our house. My poor husband Bryn (pronounced Br-in, rhymes with pin, gin, sin)is often referred to as BY-ron, BRIAN, and most often (on the phone) as Mrs. Bryn Larsen. Bryn's a girls name, they all say. Well apparently not in England where my father-in-law served his mission and fell in love with the name for his first born son!!!!! That's what I say to those dummies on the phone! BRYN is a HE. Thank you very much. There is only one Mrs. in this house. And can I tell you how many times the bank had to reprint our checks because they kept changing his name Bryon, Byron, Brian, Brin. Come on people. Just trust me. B-R-Y-N. That's all. Nothin' more. Thank you. And you wonder why my husband passed on the opportunity to pass his name on to OUR first born son to use as a middle name as has been done for 4 previous generations of Larsen men? Nope, middle name DAVID. Easy to spell, easy to pronounce.
I have always loved your name, (even the middle name and thought fondly of you the other night when I did a session for a woman named M....). Just so you know, I have met a few Care-Es spelled Kari and I always call them Car-E at first. Do you think they hate me? By the way, Kirsten, I don't think I will ever be able to drive through Truckee without giggling just a little.
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