What's in a Name?

I’ve always had a weird relationship with my name. I mean, it’s not like it’s a bad name or anything. It’s actually quite a nice name. It’s just that…well, I’ll get to that in a bit.

As a child, I was always the only Thomas in my class. I liked that. It made me feel special, like I was the only one who had such a unique name. All the other kids had boring names like Michael and John. What were their parents thinking?!

As I got older, I started to notice that my name wasn’t as rare as I thought it was. In fact, it seemed like every other person I met was named Thomas. At first, I was annoyed by this. How could they all have the same name as me? Didn’t their parents know any better?

But then, I realized that it was actually kind of a cool thing. It meant that I was part of a special club, a group of people who shared something in common. It was like we were all brothers, or at least cousins. And that felt pretty good.

Of course, no name is perfect. And there are definitely some downsides to having the name Thomas.

• For one thing, it’s hard to find a personalized license plate or coffee mug. Everyone else has already taken all the good ones!
• And then there’s the whole “Doubting Thomas” thing. I’m not sure why they had to pick on my name, but it’s always bugged me. I mean, it’s not like I’m the only one who has ever doubted anything!

But despite all of that, I actually wouldn’t trade my name for anything. It’s a part of who I am, and I’m proud of it.

So, to all the other Thomases out there, I say this: be proud of your name. It’s a good one. And hey, at least we’re not named Michael or John.