Embracing My Name: How Being Bullied Shaped My Identity
When I was growing up, I hated my name. It didn’t help that I was constantly teased and bullied because of it. My name is unique, and I had never met anyone else with the same name. It made me stand out, and not always in a good way.
The teasing started in elementary school and continued into high school. Kids would make fun of my name, mispronounce it on purpose, or come up with cruel nicknames. It made me feel ashamed and embarrassed of who I was. I longed to have a common name, something that wouldn’t make me the target of ridicule.
As a result of the constant bullying, I started to distance myself from my name. I stopped introducing myself to new people using my real name and instead used a nickname or a shortened version that I felt was more socially acceptable. I wanted to blend in and avoid the negative attention that my name brought.
It wasn’t until I reached college that I started to reevaluate my relationship with my name. I realized that my name is a part of who I am and my identity. It carries my family’s history and culture, and it is a gift given to me by my parents. I also met people who embraced their unique names and wore them proudly, regardless of any teasing or negativity they faced.
This realization sparked a change in me. I decided to take ownership of my name and reclaim it as a source of pride. I started introducing myself with my full name again and corrected people when they mispronounced it. I even began to educate others about the significance and meaning behind my name.
Embracing my name has been a journey of self-acceptance and empowerment. It has taught me to be unapologetically myself and to not let the opinions of others dictate how I should feel about my identity. I have learned to appreciate the uniqueness of my name and see it as a strength, rather than a weakness.
I now understand that the bullying I endured because of my name was never about me or my name, but rather about the insecurities and ignorance of those who chose to tease me. I no longer allow their words to define how I feel about myself.
Embracing my name has shaped my identity in profound ways. It has taught me resilience, self-confidence, and the importance of embracing all aspects of who I am. I am proud of my name and the person it represents, and I will continue to celebrate it as a vital part of my identity.
