I've always disliked my name. As far back as I can remember, my name has been an issue to me. I probably told my mother on dozens of occasions, just how unhappy I was that she named me Daryl. "Why didn't you name me something normal like the other three boys in the family?" I would often ask her in an unpleasant tone.
It's funny to me that fifty-plus years later, I still feel the same way.
Many times, when I introduce myself to someone and utter the name Daryl... I feel as though I am introducing someone other than myself. My name is foreign to me now, just has it has always been.
When I was running today, I thought about how different the world would be if our labels were something other than names. What if the human race was assigned numbers upon birth, rather than names? That would be pretty cool. "Hey honey, I'm going over to 68456348s house for awhile." Just a thought.
After I graduated from high school, where my name was the subject --on many occasions --of ridicule, I joined the ranks of a police agency where I then became a number. "Seneca to 157, respond to a domestic dispute. Nothing physical yet, just some name calling". This seemed to suit me pretty well. Along with the number assignment, my new label was now "Deputy". I liked that much better.
Later on in years as my career developed, my label changed a couple of more times. First to Sergeant and then finally to Chief. I enjoyed being called Chief rather than Daryl and it probably showed. My twin sons, after convincing me to retire from the uniform and badge gig at the ripe young age of 48, hired me at their company where I would acquire the name of Chief Sales Representative. They always introduced me as "Chief" and typically that's how they would address me. If they called me "Dad", it was usually going to be a pretty serious conversation.
So now, as I enter yet another phase of my life --having actually retired this time, and relocated to the Sunshine State, I'm laying the ground work for yet another label. Although many still refer to me as "Chief", I'm really not a chief anymore. As I venture out now, hopefully into the entertainment world, I need to come up with a snazzy (yes, I said snazzy) stage name. I don't care to be introduced as "Daryl, the trumpet player" nor do I care to be called the Chief trumpet player.
The other day during a conversation, Patti --my fiancée (now there's a neat label) referred to me as "that trumpet guy" and I kind of like that. Think about it... I live in an adult community filled with bad drivers and failing memories. "Hey Agatha, let's go back to the italian restaurant where that trumpet guy was playing. He sucked, but the food was great!"
~Safe Travels~
-Daryl
