Writer's Block: A rose by any other name

[angelophile]

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Well, I don't feel any need to change my name, particularly, as I like it just fine, but I've also got a thing that barely anyone actually calls me by my actual name.

In terms of - my name's Matthew. Pretty much the only people in the entire world that have ever actually called me Matthew are my family, friends of the family and one of my old bosses. Why did he call me Matthew? Because when he asked the question "do you prefer Matt or Matthew?" when I said Matthew he did listen.

But it's surprising how few people do. When I started my current job 8 years ago I was asked. Within an hour everyone was calling me Matt, regardless. There's no malice in it, it's just people seem to default to the short version. It happens all the time to the point where I just accept it and go by Matt. With friends it's an either/or situation anyway. I have a slight leaning towards the use of my name in full, but I came to accept a long time ago that most people have an instinctive leaning towards shortening my name.

Comments

[kingrockwell]

I always took you for a Matt because that's the name put on everything, your e-mail your Facebook, etc. But knowing you prefer Matthew now, I'll try to fight my instincts to shorten names to single-syllables in your case.
my dad's a Matthew as well

[angelophile.livejournal.com]

I'm actually fairly indifferent in most cases and I've just gotten so used to being called Matt, that's how I sign myself. Like I say, in most circumstances there's only a very slight leaning towards my full name. If I cared about it much, yeah, I'd sign my name in full. As it is, I've been called Matt so long by most people I just go with it and I'm totally fine with that.

[shadow-weaver.livejournal.com]

you never told me you preferred the long version!! *bat you with a trout*

[angelophile.livejournal.com]

You never asked? ;)

But like I said above, I've just got so used to being called Matt, that's how I tend to think of myself and just sign myself off that way. It's only ever if people ask me my preference I think about it.