This week I selected prompt #4: “The first day of . . .”
“The First Day of My Ten-Year-Old’s New Identity” No, this isn’t some touchy-feeling post about how he’s discovered his true self in some philosophical sense. He’s a ten-year-old boy. He’s changed his name. Without consulting me. I found out in carpool when the patrol girl said, “Have a good evening, John!” He’s at a new school, remember, and is less than a month in, so I didn’t think much of it.
“Haven’t you told everyone to call you Jack? I put on all your paperwork that you prefer “Jack” and we told your teacher that at meet-the-teacher night.”
“No, I decided I like being called John.”
“But no one has ever called you John. You’ve always been Jack.”
“Yeah, but now I like John.”
He came home and finished up his first big project of the year, and what’s the name on the front of the tri-fold? John. Here’s something he did in computer class today:
HMMM . . .if John’s going to be organized, I just may like this new kid (’cause Jack sure wasn’t). Evidently John likes Spongebob as much as Jack did, and tries to sneak snacks before dinner just like Jack does. Oh, great, he just handed me a notice from school – a kid in his class has lice and I need to check his head for nits every day for the next couple of weeks. None of Jack’s classmates ever had lice – SIGH! Well, if John cleans his room I’m all for it. I’d let him change his name to Spongebob if he’d clean his room.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
as always, he makes me laugh. At least it's a nice, normal name, and definitely masculine!
That's so funny! My youngest son decided he'd like to be called Snake when he was about 9 years old, but he didn't actually take it further than discussing it with me thank heavans – I'd definitely have been judged for a name like that! I really enjoyed your story.
LOl you post made me laugh. I'm following you now…in a nice non stalking kind of way.
Oh my gosh. That is such a cute story : ) I like that name Jack : ) but if John makes him happy, so be it! And if it helps him be organized, well, you totally got to LOVE that : )
I love John's computer project! I'm sure Jack will visit on occasion.
I love this! My daughter did the same thing when we moved. At registration the ladies in the office asked her name and she blurted out her middle name. Apparently she had decided to start going by that without telling me. She went by her middle name her entire first grade year, but by the next year she was ready to switch back (very confusing for her friends). Too funny.