What's In a Name?

            Is your past defined by the Nickname you once hated                                                                                       OR LOVED    
                              Do you cherish the name you now own  
                                                             OR DOES YOUR NAME/NICKNAME OWN YOU

       
          This blog is required for a College English course I am currently attending. After reading, I compel you to respond with brutal honesty and relentless constructive criticism. That said, our first assignment was to brain storm ideas and come up with three topics we find interesting enough to hold our attention; and hopefully keep you, the undeserved victims who have stumbled into what I call Squat World USA, entertained enough to reply and keep coming back. I believe a little self disclosure would be appropriate before we start: WHY SQUAT? Well, it was the nickname given me by my high school club/gang partners in crime. Oh, and as a side note; for a nickname to be a true nickname you….

   

          1)  Cannot give yourself the name

          2)  It has to last for a reasonable length of time.

          3)  No less than ten people must be aware of the name and at least five must have called you by       it more than once.

          4)  And, though not a requirement, it’s preferable that it be included in a song. (a made up song,                or part of an existing song, or a replacement for a term in a song)

                ------ If any of you have any other requirements let us know ----------

         So, now you get the Idea. Here’s my incomplete list -  followed by the people who gave the name[ and a brief reason why I, and I repeat I, believe the names were given and stuck.]

    

       1)  Moose – My mother [I’m not sure but maybe I was secretly conceived in an Alaskan igloo safe house while she was obtaining her new identification after she turned state’s evidence against the New Jersey Cosa Nostra]

 2) Stretch– Little league baseball coach [ I played 1^st base and would do the splits to scoop short hops]
 3)  Shotgun - High school/college baseball [I’m a left handed ballplayer/ambidextrous at most other  things. And, I believe it to be common knowledge the we lefties as a rule are Wild and Crazy Guys; think Wild Thing(Charlie Sheen) from the movie Major League]

    

        4)  Squat – Adolescent friends [Only God knows why]Use your imagination and send me some suggestions or images of your best guess.]
   
     5)  Motor – Bass player of post college Rock bands – [I was the singer in a Rock and Roll Band – Front man -  at a time in my life when controlled substances along with a reasonable amount of adult beverage kept the Motor running 24/7/365].

 6) Tap Out – Fellow electricians/construction workers. [Given following a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) type scuffle that happened after the helmets and tools were put away for the day. Curiously my opponent was also named Scott].

     

   

       When I began this blog we brain stormed about some very serious subjects (i.e. Human Trafficking/black market organ sales, Cloning, and the disenfranchised youth and how they survive living on the streets.) But now, the first topic must be Nicknames. We've all had them whether we cherished or loathed them they were ours and became part of our life stories.So tell some of your story if you dare and ..... 

       

 --------POST YOUR LIST OF NICKNAMES YOU HAVE SUFFERED OR CHERISHED -------

                   “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.” ― Johann Wolfgang von Goethe