Do you like your name?
Most of us did not get to choose our name. It was given to us by our parents. Some of us have shifted from the formal name we were given at birth to a shorter version or to a nickname that we picked up in childhood or teenage years.
I only ever heard my full first and middle name, Michael James, when I was being scolded by my mom. Other than my mom, my wife is about the only other person who calls me Michael anymore.
As usually happens with the name Michael, Mike became the shorter version used by friends. For some people, their friends gave them a name that stuck, yet in no way resembled their given name. For example, I have friends who go by nicknames such as “Scooter,” “Red,” and “Peewee.” With my first granddaughter being born this past December, I’ve taken the name “Sparky” to be called by her and future grandchildren.
