September 16, 2008

A Baby By Any Other Name Would Still Be Bubba.

So as I've mentioned, mom's coming to visit next month. With her she brings a suitcase full of attitude (which she'll be paying an extra $15.00 for, thank you Northwest Airlines) and under her hat she'll have some fabricated snootiness. She'll sneak it past security, she's stealthy like that. A wolf in sheep's clothing.

I'm sure I've mentioned it along the way and if not, no time like the present: my husband we've nicknamed our son "Bubba." As if our redneck flag didn't fly high enough already we had to have a kid whose moniker has been etched in country music fans' minds as the man who shot the jukebox because it made him cry. Went to his truck and got a forty-five, don't ya know.

I didn't like or want it at first. The name, that is. Definitely wanted the baby. He was too cute to give back. I fought that nickname for a few days, insistent that there had to be a different, less Bayou-La-Batre-and-shrimpin'-boats nickname we could bestow upon our son. But no, he was to be Bubba. To this day I call him Robby a few times a day to get him used to his real name but he has yet to answer to it.

At any rate, we had some strong opposition to this name. My father-in-law and stepmother-in-law have given in to calling him Bubba but did refer to him as Little Robby for a few months. My mother-in-law calls him "the baby." My mom, however, is its most staunch opponent. She refuses to call him Bubba. She just won't. She say "the baby" or "Robby," but never "Bubba."

I honestly don't see the big deal. He has plenty of time to learn his real name, the name teachers will read aloud when they do roll call at school. He's a smart kid and we're hoping to dispell the myth that all Bubbas are dumbass hicks who don't give a hoot about education. Mom, on the other hand, I think she's convinced he'll do nothing but live up to the nickname if we insist on keeping it.

I've tried telling her, nay, warning her that during her stay, he's not likely to respond to "Robby." He always answers to "Bubba," but never "Robby." She doesn't care! She'd rather call him by a name he may respond to if only because of the familiarity of double-bs, maybe 20% of the time, than by a name that will get her a smile every time. Stubborn elitist.

Seriously, it's just a name! Get over it, woman!

cat
more animals

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Names are just names, but it will affect how people treat/react to you...like it or not. I mean seriously at first glance, Candy's and Bambi's will always be slutty stripper names, Brittany's and Alexis' will be stuck up, Scott and Travis's will always be cool, Avery's and boy's named Gene and Pat will get beat up, see my point here...

I can see your mom not wanting to call him Bubba, but look at it this way. Maybe it will be their "thing", a special thing between him and grandma. I was never a Mandy, but the few people who I never corrected calling me this were older people to be respected, and I always remember that about them fondly.
So let her do it and don't take it as a challenge to your authority. It is what it is!

PlungerGirl said...

I like Bubba. It's so real. Good thing you don't call him Todd or Thad.

I call one of my Chihuahuas Bubba Blackfoot, though his name is Pipsqueak and he doesn't have black feet.

So, at least you have a good reason. Like, his name is Todd and you call him Bubba. LOL.

 
template by suckmylolly.com : background by Tayler : dingbat font TackODing