Freewrite 4

[elephantastic]

Most names have special meanings, or are chosen because they have a certain ring. My name was chosen as a joke. By the time my parents reached their third child, I think they’d exhausted their enthusiasm for choosing meaningful pronounceable names. My mother was waddling around, craving junk food in copious amounts, and moving into a new house. My dad had just been transferred to a new office and was renovating said broken down house. Plus they had two rambunctious toddlers pushing each other off chrismas presents and falling asleep at new years parties. The choice of a name for their very tardy third child was probably the last thing on their list of worries. A baby supposed to be born on new years eve that instead pops out one month late probably poses more important worries than what to name her. And yet still they tried. They pored over name books, and lists of good Sri Lankan names. Apparently, one day in my mothers exceedingly long pregnancy she joked that this would be a junkie baby since all she craved were hot dogs and fries. Later on, my dad found the name “Janaki”. Which sounded like Junkie. And Voila I had my name.
The other names I could have had were no better. You see, my mother has an interesting sense of humor. She wanted to call me Sidney, so my nickname could be sid vicious. You think I’m kidding but I’m not. As a child, they called me the “Jabberwocky” and “Jabs” for short. We went through a phase in our house in which everyone called me ”billy bob bo billis” just because it annoyed me. My camp friends call me Kiki, which apparently means poop in hindi(I found this out on my trip this summer). I don’t think that was the original intent… A girl I met once on a cruise ship decided to call me Charlie, because I “looked like a charlie.” My grandmother called me Nonni because it meant “little lady.” And this boy I knew in highschool used to call me “Janaki Perera with the weather” since apparently my name was perfect for a weather girl. My favorite nickname came about rather nonsensically as well. My best friend calls me Izzy because of something we read on the side of a happy meal box. Actually the full nickname is Isabella Scarlett Herring, but it’s Izzy for short. Together Macky Rose Mahi and Izzy Scarlett Herring were going to sail the seas, steal treasure, and pillage villages… after they finished their cookies.

[MaryShelley]

Another great freewrite! I love the depiction of your weary parents w other things on their mind and the crazy sense of humor that characterizes your mother. Your name is so striking and original it's not surprising that it has inspired derivatives, and it's interesting to hear that you are known by different names in different contexts. very curious about the weather woman...

[Admin]

I'm sorry, but you just don't look like a Johnathon to me :p

I'm very amused by all these nicknames, particularly the ones which are unrelated to your name. The description of your parents was particularly humorous, too. It was really fun to read.

[cbehling]

I really like all the nicknames. This is a good free write. I can definitely hear your voice in it. My only question is which name do you like the best?

[jxl33]

Its pretty cool that you had all these random and different nicknames throughout your life. I was simply Jeff unless someone wanted to call me something very out of the ordinary, which usually was a one time thing. Its quite funny that your dad named you Janaki because it sounded like "Junkie."

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