Turning a negative in to a positive can be a very cool thing. I hated my name and birthday growing up. My parents were WWII generation, and Carol was a rather trendy name....during their day, but not now. If we sang Christmas carols in class or in church, I got a fair amount of grief from that....but it seemed to be worse at home, as my mother would proclaim "You're our Christmas Carol!" over and over again.
But getting older, my view changed. Today, unfortunately, I had to take a dear friend to the hospital after she injured herself while hiking with me. At one point ere must have been at least two other ladies named "Jennifer" within earshot, including one of the nurses. So every time I would hear "Jennifer" or "Jenn" being spoken I would bolt upright, only to realize they were not talking about us. That's not the case with a name like "Carol". It's unusual, but not so odd that people trip over saying it.
I turned my mother's saying in to an icebreaker and mnemonic. I have Hibernian looks, so If I meet someone new - especially at a party or gathering where many strangers are getting to know one another - I'll often say something like "Carol. As in, Irish Christmas Carol". It's a little smoother than "Carol the redhead"
Sent from my tinfoil hat.
