Sixteen Going On Pissed Off
A name like “Leisl” can raise a few eyebrows. It’s not a name that gels easily with the general public. Once they wrap their mind around the concept that someone could be named something slightly foreign, they then have to go through the rigamorole of pronouncing it. “Lisa? Leslie? Alisa?” I just nod and put up with whatever they call me. It’s a lot nicer than “Hey Bitch! Get out the way!”
I was named after the character in “The Sound Of Music”. You remember the eldest girl, the one that climbed out windows, fell in love with nazi’s, and got deflowered in gazebos? A real stand up citizen. Well, apparantly,that’s what I reminded my parents of when I popped out the womb.
Do you know how many times I’ve had “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” warbled at me? As if they were the first person in the universe to make that joke. Everyone assumes I am a reincarnation of the character.
The sad thing is that I am nothing like her. I am the least musical person I know. I’m not tall, graceful or feminine. I don’t sing duets with my father. I rarely dance on hilltops without the aid of hallucenagenics. I am normally the chick that chainsmokes at bus shelters and glares at traffic lights.
Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Probabaly not. If it’s name was Sweety McStinkbottom what would happen then? Or Poo Pot Pourri? Or Fartsy Bouquet? Sorry fictional Leisl. I just can’t channel you. I will just have to reinvent the name for myself.
Outdoors2
I think Leisl, is a lovely name, and the 3.5 decades + of booze and hallucinogens have destroyed all remembrances of the friggin Sound of Music. [J. Andrews and hills right?] So I wouldn’t be able to stereotype you to the character. I too grew up with a ‘Unique’ name ie. ‘Roy’. Everyone was Bill, Bob, Rick, George and I so wanted to be Bob [my middle] But such is life. I learned to deal with the synonymic name calling, But I also realized one day that Hell, everyone else had one,two or three people of the same name as friends, which could get confusing at the local watering hole. But when someone yelled ROY everyone new it was me they were hollering at. Not the Roy over there, but me, myself.
My point is one day you will realize your name is beautiful
The world will be, alive with the life of Leisl
It will make ‘You’ who you are…;)
~~*~~
LeislEgan replied
Oh, I’m pretty cool with it now. When you’re a child you hate anything that sets you apart from the norm. Redhair, odd name, five siblings. But as an adult what sets you apart becomes special. I no longer loathe the name, just the movie.
Outdoors2
ha Good for you,
My oldest (21) had red hair. It’s now Brunette lightened from Black. Which as you say, the original set her apart.
Dave Legere
I suppose a unique name is better than having a name everyone else shares. I know so many Daves that for years I have gone by “Frenchy” or Leguree (because people can’t seem to say Legere. Kind of sounds like “The chair” only with a little more “shhh” to it for good measure ; ) NIce wriitng.
LeislEgan replied
That’s true, I know a hell of alot of Daves’. But Legere is unique. just make sure when people call you Frenchy it’s not after the chick with pink hair in “Grease”.
Conrad Stryker
I can’t believe that many people know the names of the characters from The Sound of Music …
And, while I’d never seen that name before reading your stuff on this site, I’ve seen it a few other places in the time since, so it can’t be all that uncommon. Hell, I think there are a couple of other Liesls registered on this site, right now.
But, you’ve definitely got the right idea. Reinvent the fuck out of those five letters. It’s not only your right. but your duty.
LeislEgan
L is for Luxurious, E is for Egotistical, I is Idiosyncratic, S is for Sarcastic, and L is for La la la fricken la.
Damian
LOL, well I now know a lot more about the Sound of Music than I did before stopping by La la la fricken la Leisl (that’s got a nice ring to it) ;)
MelindaLoh
Ahh Woman! You crack me up…
You know, I was named ‘Melinda’ because my mums best friend in high school was going to call her first born girl ‘Belinda’ How original do I feel…oh my name rhymes…
( most bizzare, my mum ended up with another best friend who had a daughter named ‘Belinda’...
I feel your pain though…it’s a bloody hard thing getting people to get my name right.
‘Mel’ is just much simpler than feeling like a trip to Depol would be much more worthy than all the fictional head banging I do in my head.
Melinda is such a stupid name…always mistaken for Belinda,Linda,Amanda,Mirinda,Miranda,Melissa,Melina,Melanie…then even things like Meredith or Madeline….hmmm I should be so blooming confused about my identity.
I just stick to ‘hey you’ or the same as the other blooming 50 trillion Mels in the world and call myself ‘Mel’
It’s not worth my angst. lol
Hugs Mel ;)