Calling Bradley Manning a She---Educate me DU.

[hfojvt]

306. I see it as a respect thing, but I may be paranoid

it feels like people are disrespecting me, that perhaps as a little guy, I do not DESERVE a 2nd syllable in my name. I mean, I work with a Jonathan, and everybody calls him Jonathan, nobody shortens it to Jon.

But it is tough sometimes even for me, to not slip into calling a Matthew, "Matt" or calling a David "Dave". Maybe I should pay more attention to the INTENT of the speaker. To understand that they really are NOT trying to put me down by shortening my name, but dammit, why does everybody have to do it?

I mean you even introduce yourself.
"I'm Thomas."
and the first question is almost always.
"is it okay to call you Tom?" or "Do you go by Thomas or Tom?"

Maybe I should just respond by asking them THEIR name. Then when they say "I am Barack" I can ask, do you go by Barack or Bar? Is it okay to call you Bar? Is it Steve or Ste? John or Jo? I need to know because I am too fucking lazy to say the last part of your name!!!

But then again, I bet people named William really have that problem, isn't that right, Bill? And what about a Timothy? I bet their name is always made more tiny. And Jonathans usually are Jon even though their name is really not a formal form of John but actually a long form of Nathan.