What's in a name?

Although it's silly, I find that I'm a different person depending on what name you use to call me.

Unless you're family (or damn well close enough to it) do NOT call me Kathy. It makes me feel like a child. I associate this name with what my parents ideally want me to be. Kathy has to be innocent and perfect. There's no room for making mistakes or doing anything fun or taking risks. She does what she's told and doesn't question anything.

If you want me to be professional call me Kathryn. I'll usually introduce myself to you as Kathryn if we're going to interact mainly in a work place setting. Kathryn makes me feel sophisticated, smart, responsible, and confident that I can succeed in any endeavor. This name establishes a mutual respect and presents you with a reliable individual who is always ready to give it 110%.

In recent years, however, I became Kat. She's a combination of Kathy and Kathryn, but she is much more fun. Kat is spontaneous, ridiculous, a bit unpredictable, but completely loveable! She's not afraid to live life, make mistakes, ask questions, accept challenges, see where life takes her, and her sense of humor is stellar!

The last and (as of the five years) most used name is Kiki. Somehow, when Owen (my nephew) was a baby, I got this nickname as he kept tryin to sound out my name. Kiki (or even sillier Kik-i-dik pronounced keek-i-deek) acts whatever age her nephew is at the time. She's silly, playful, and immature. She gets timeouts and argues with Owen on his level, but also plays imaginative games in order to build Owen's creative side...She's a dork, but Owen wouldn't trade her for the world.

So all in all, there are 4 main names I go by, but each one will cause me to act differently...which brings us back to the title: What's in a name?