Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Lingual Sensitivity

So I sat at the library computer, waiting out my "planning" period before returning to my subbing assignment. The librarian approached me cautiously, then paused nearby. I looked up. She smiled. Another moment of hesitation, then she held a clipboard list out for my inspection. "Is this"...pointing to a name..."you?"

"Yeah, that's me." I didn't see fit to elaborate.

She gently informed me that my PC time was up, but clearly felt the need to justify herself. She retreated, then from the safety of the central console-

"So how do you pronounce that?"

"Ariel."

"I wasn't sure."

"That's ok, you aren't the first."

I gave her an understanding smile, confirming her lingual sensitivity. I know I could avoid this sort of mix-up by signing on as "AJ" like I do in my hoops games. But somehow, it almost seems like selling out. Just can't bring myself to do it, especially when it creates such amusing situational comedy.

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3 comments:

  1. Oneway the Herald5:20 PM

    It's surprising she didn't just call you the Little Mermaid. Not everyone has a brother in seminary feeding you nuggets of Hebrew...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brood Mode4:26 AM

    poor woman... but the situation sure is comical

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  3. AJ11:47 AM

    Yeah, I did feel for the kindly librarian somewhat. Generally, people have to be fairly qualified in order to say "Ariel" to my face without wincing. They are usually...

    1) Hebrew scholars (as Oneway suggests)
    2) Shakespeare lovers
    3) Good dutchmen
    4) Artistic types
    5) Trying to be cute (also, as suggested by Oneway)

    My "full" name seems to pose an ethical/logical dilemma to a lot of people. Really, it makes life more interesting.

    ReplyDelete

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