"Meggie"

As Thanksgiving came and went, I was reminded of my "good name" as a child, similar to Gogol's in The Namesake. When I was younger, everybody in my family and extended family called me "Meggie". Until I turned about 6 years old, I absolutely adored this name, and considered it a source of endearment by my close family and friends. My mom would always hug me and say, "You're my little Meggie". However, as I reached the second grade, I soon realized that this name sounded too immature for my mature seven-year-old self, because my older brother would tease me and call me a baby. So, from then on, I began correcting people when they called me Meggie and told them that I prefer to be called Meghan. As I sat down at the dinner table next to my family and close family friends this year on Thanksgiving, my Uncle asked, "Meggie, would you please pass the mashed potatoes?" At this instant, memories of my childhood flooded back to me and I began to wonder why I dreadfully hated this name so much as a young child. Sometimes, I now wish that people would still call me this, because it is unique and much less generic than the name Meghan.