Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Okay...not everything is a favorite thing

because I'm human and I'm sooo opinionated that there will be times when I mention "unfavorables"

...like when people mispronounce names
GET IT TOGETHER
Just because a name might be spelled unconventionally, don't assume anything. Please just ask! We all know what assuming does--and if you don't know, again, ASK!
It's really not so hard, and it's not disrespectful for you to ask the person at hand how to pronounce their names correctly.
Further, if someone corrects you on the pronunciation of their name, LISTEN, and then fix it. It is so important to respect people's names and the way they want to be addressed. The way we identify ourselves is a large part of what defines us, our strengths, hopes--many things that are important to us. It's the way we are known. So please, please take care with each other--friends AND strangers.
My name is not a game (and I hate that it sounds so corny, but it's so very true)
And in the famous words of YaYa (ANTM season 3?) "Respieto!"
...sorry, I had to lighten it up just a bit

now, one last thing on this topic:
Mispronunication falls directly in line with misspellings
What are you thinking!?
The first time it's okay--maybe
Perhaps you're spelling a name from having heard it--writing an email to someone after only having heard their recording on their voicemails, and their email addresses only reference their first initial (by the way, this scenario is giving you the MOST POSSIBLE leeway for excuses, though excuses are the tools of...)
In this case, if you have to make up a spelling, do so with some regard to your ignorance. My daddy always said "Don't be loud AND wrong!" and he was so right. Just try to be humble with what you're unsure of.
Perhaps you don't need an unlikely case to fix this mistake of yours, but I'll just say, when I send an email in which decidedly spelled my name correctly in the actual email address, in the signature, and in the signage, please take the care to READ what I've put so much care into and respond accordingly.
Arin does not equate with Erin.
E!!! is not a caring or loving way to address me. "E" is to me the 5th letter of the alphabet, the last letter of my name, and not at all the first letter of my name or a cute nickname. Try A!!!

Okay, I'm done now. Just a couple notes on some unfavorables to share with tu familia.

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