Childhood Nicknames: Building Resilience and Confidence
perspectives, character building, culture, educational
A particular daily prompt urged me to look back at a door to the past, inviting me to reflect on the experiences and memories that have shaped my life. I wore out my mind deciding which topic in my lists should I post next, so I paused and decided to navigate on the buttons that I did not notice earlier. Then an intrusive thought lead me to “discover” button. As a beginner, this is a pivotal moment. I may not often send comments, react or send emails to other authors but I was delighted with the vast ideas and creativity everyone is pitching. I was mostly enthralled with one daily prompt; “What is the story behind your nickname?“
Living in an ethnic community, most children are given names that sound similar to those of people in English-speaking countries. However, nicknames in our communities can often be based on old or ancient words or phonemes, referring to animals, plants, landforms, celestial bodies, or water bodies. In our local dialect being Austronesian in origin, these nicknames can be particularly embarrassing.
For instance, a dad in our neighborhood nicknamed his daughter “Dawel” /dɑwəl’/, because she likes to play outdoors. “Dawel” means “turbulent, strong or chaotic” which is an adjective commonly used to describe the weather like saying “nadawel ay angin“, meaning “strong wind”. So, this nickname seems to imply the child is a walking disaster.
Another example, my sister was curios how her tall friend, Jones, was nicknamed “Padek” /pɑdək’/; meaning “a short and stocky man”. Padek never gave a sweet smile when he is being called that way.
The most awkward nicknames are satirical pronunciations of our real names, which can sound comical or odd. My nickname for is just like that, it is a satirical pronunciation of my real name.
When most children reach the age of puberty, they begin to protest being addressed with their real name. In many cases, persistent use of their unusual nicknames by others can lead to altercations and verbal fights. During this stage, I was one of those who strived for their ‘real name‘ until the community recognizes their effort to assert their identity, voice, and real name. While this treatment may seem unjust, I think there is a silver lining in the dark clouds.
Old folks use teasing about our nicknames as an indirect way to teach us to stand up for ourselves and assert our identities. This scornful behavior is a challenge for us to find our voice. The “stress inoculation theory” suggests that exposure to mild or moderate stress can help people develop coping skills and resilience. The key seems to be having supportive and safe space so that one learns how to handle adversity in a healthy way. Each time we are called by our annoying nicknames, we have an opportunity to build resilience. That will now translate in the future where one becomes courageous to stand up for one’s voice, identity and name.
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.
Proverbs 22:1
By enduring these jibes, one learns to stand up for oneself and develop resilience, ultimately emerging with the strength to embrace and assert their identity in the face of adversity. Thus, dealing with your weird nickname is a test of character that shapes the individual into a more confident, self-assured person.
A collection of reflective writings from a bored and an introvert teacher.
categories
- character building
- Christianity
- Culture and Tradition
- Educational
- Life Stories/ Personal Narratives
- narrative poem by Zerayn D.
- Perspectives (Personal Interpretations of Zerayn D.)
- poetry by Zerayn D.
- random tales
- skill-based learning
- Surrealistic Series of Zerayn D.
- Travel
- Uncategorized
- Zerayn's dailyprompt responses
- Zerayn's Journal of Feelings
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