The Disadvantages of Having a Unique Nickname

NOTE: Ito ang pangalawa kong speech sa Toastmasters' Club. Ang pakay nito'y gumawa ng isang outline upang maging logical ang speech, at maintindihan ng mabuti ng mga taga-pakinig. Kailangang may strong opening at strong ending. Ano sa palagay n'yo, nakamit ko ba ang objective para sa aking pangalawang speech?

Most of you heard my Basic Speech # 1, where I recounted my decision to change my nickname from Danny to Balty, and attributed that change to help me become a better person.

As I was preparing for that speech, I realized that having Balty as a nickname has its disadvantages.

One such disadvantage became apparent just a couple of months after I made the change. A classmate of mine called me up at home and asked for me. He later realized that he should have been more specific; you see, we were all Balty in that house.

I was fortunate that my brother and sister did not resent that I used our family name for my nickname. What right did I have, me, being the middle child? You know what it means to be a middle child: not being the oldest, hence not the favorite of the father, nor not being the youngest, hence not the favorite of the mother. Among the siblings the middle child is the most neglected, the most ignored, but the most intelligent of all.

It was also fortunate that my brother did not use our middle name, Garcia, for his nickname. You know what can happen. One day, I'm going to call him on his Motorola cell phone and say, “Hello, Garci?”

Unlike the name Balty, several songs have been written for Danny. We have “Danny Boy” - “Oh, Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are callin',” a song where my mother got my name, being her favorite. Then there's Loggins and Messina's “Danny's Song” - “Even though we ain't got honey, I'm so in love with your money,” or something like that. And there's the Hebrew derivative, “Daniel” - “Daniel's traveling tonight on a plane.” Unfortunately, he wasn't taking PAL because we don't have a flight to “Spa-ee-ee-yin!”

Just an aside, these are famous songs that, I'm sure, you are familiar with. Perhaps, you just did not recognize them by the way I sang these songs. But, rest assured, you know them very well.

Going back, since Balty is not a popular name, I had to spell it to the barrista every time I had to order coffee at Starbucks. I wouldn't have such a problem had I been using Danny. We all know that Danny is spelled D-A-N-I.

Some friends called me Baltic, after that cartoon strip, “Baltic and Company”. Being very thin, I looked more like Dyani than Mr. Baltic.

And do you know what “Baltic” means? No, it doesn't mean “handsome”. Rather, when you have “Baltic”, it means there's something loose in your brain.

Others would ask if I have the same name as that of the character in the 90's sitcom “Perfect Strangers”. I would always answer, “That's Balky, I'm Balty. Balky is cute, I'm not.”

Being unique, the name Balty is easy to remember. Now, is that a disadvantage? Yes, for me. You see, I have a poor memory when it comes to names. So, when I meet old friends and acquaintances, they could easily mention my name, whereas, I would rack my brains trying to remember even just the starting letter of their names. Sometimes, my wife would wonder why I have so many “kumpares” and “kumares”.

There are many more disadvantages that I thought of, and I could go on and on, but since I have only seven minutes to give this speech I dare not exceed my time limit lest I pay a fine.

Change really do have its advantages and disadvantages. Often, we have to weigh the advantages and the disadvantages before we make the change. However, some would magnify the disadvantages, not because that is so, but because they fear the change, afraid of the possible consequences it may bring.

Just like a crab who needs to shed off its shell in order to become bigger, we also need to change in order to grow. As my high school Biology teacher had said, growth is a characteristic of living things. Implication: If we don't change, we're not really living.

Of course, not all change is good, like changing your spouse.

But just like the crab, we can become vulnerable to the environment and predators, and even to our friends and loved ones, if we make a change. However, change we must if we are to reach our potential. It may be painful, but, in the end, it may be beneficial.

As a very famous person once said (and I forgot his name), “Whatever does not kill me, strengthens me.”