What's In a Name

As I have gotten older, but not anymore the wiser, I have to catch myself and auto adjust when the urge to add a nickname to something or someone.  I cannot help myself, as I was born with this condition, inherited it from my mom and my dad, who more than likely got it from my grandparents.

As young kids, my brother and sister and I were very pet friendly.  These critters were especially subject to be stuck with a name of my mothers choosing, and what she came up with usually stuck.  Our first dog that I can remember was a beagle mix puppy that the neighbor of my Beepsie had, and was the last of the litter.  Mom said "ok" and yes, we had a dog!  It didn't take Mom very long to name this poor fellow.  That dog was so covered in fleas, that he instantly became known as "Fleahound".!

My sister went to a weekend sleepover with one of her friend girls.  By the time Mom had picked her up, she had fallen in love with a little puppy, and yep, last on of the litter.  To this day my little sister, being our "little runt", seemed to always get her way.  Little pup was on his way to the Weems household.  Upon his arrival, it was obvious that this puppy was just one big ole ball of fur that would shrivel up to nothing when he got wet.  The immediate question that all of us had on our minds was "just what kind dog is this"?  This little pup turned out to be a "coc-a-pik-a-poo.  Mom or Dad, I can't remember which, said "well, that's nothing but a "Heinz 57"!  And "Heinz" is what our little fur ball became.  Later in his life, Heinz got himself run over, and one of his hind legs had to be amputated.  He then got his nickname as the three legged cottonpicker.  That little three legged dog could run with the best of them.  He would end up in a neighborhood pack and come home all beat up, but in a day or so, he would be at it again!

Somehow we ended up with a female German Shepherd that my Mom named Jessee,  which came from the mother of the family that she came from.  Jessee had one litter, and we kept one that was named JP, for Jessee's puppy.

My Dad, one who never showed much interest in pets, has adopted several cats that just wandered up.  One of these was a black cat that he named "Obama".  Unlike our current President, Obama the cat only lasted one term.

Mankind has not been exempt from the nickname curse.  I broke my leg one summer, and got the nickname of "Chester", from the television show "Gunsmoke".  Chester was a deputy that walked with a limp.  My Mom picked up the tag of "Maude", after another television show.  My sister's first husband became known as "Jack", as in jackass for his behavior.  My cousin Carol got the tag "Colonel" after the mascot "Colonel Reb", of Ole Miss lore.  "Colonel" ended up going to Mississippi State!.

Yes, I am guilty of this family trait, having nicknamed my lovely wife of thirty years "the spousal unit".  Some family members are known as "the borrowers" because when they show up, you know they are wanting to borrow something.  Even have a niece that is 19 years younger than her youngest cousin.  She is know as "Grandbaby Niece".

This family trait must be contagious, as it has also affected the spousal unit.  Son number two, Morgan, came home with a girlfriend, named Morgan.  Momma came up with "He-Mo" and "She-Mo"!  It fit, and it stuck.

So be warned.  If you enter the Kingdom of Weems and you stick around long enough, you too will get a nickname.