Call Me AL (Al looks too much like AI)

People used to ask me:

"What's your name?"

When I'd tell them.

They would sometimes look disappointed.

They would sometimes ask, "No, your REAL name."

Like my name wasn't real.

Which always confused me.

And it took awhile (like some things do) for me to understand what they were asking.

My Korean name.

They were expecting something ethnic.

Like when someone used to ask where I was from.

New Yawk.

They were really asking what my bloodlines were.

Why I looked the way I did.

Growing up, my folks always wanted me to have a Korean name.

I think it's a mandatory thing.

But they never did.

I refused.

I knew my name.

I already had it.

Why another one?

And as I was growing up, over the years, they'd throw out a name.

"How about [insert a single syllable sound three times]"?

Mmm. 

No.

"How about [another three syllable sound]?"

No thank you.

One day, I offered a counter:

"How about [some random name I probably thought was cool on a video game]?"

"No. You can't be that. It's the word for God."

"Oooh, I like that! I want that one!!!"

So, they pretty much left it alone after that.

You can't be named after God.

At least, that's what my folks thought.

So I'm Alex.

Stuck with Alex.

You love your name.

No Korean name.

Because my folks wouldn't name me after God.

I've been called a lot of things.

Never God, but every name under Him.

But I know my name.

If you're one of my people (not racially, but tribally), you can drop the last two letters.

But don't ever call me.

Text.

Or email.

Email might be best.

God bless,

AC