Say My Name, Say My Name

I don’t know what it is, perhaps because I am normally addressed as “mommy” or “honey” at home or “X’s mommy” or “Mrs.” when I am out, but I find it so refreshing when someone calls me by my first name.  (Also, truth be told, my name is often mispronounced so when someone gets it right it’s also refreshing. haha) When I am having a conversation with someone and they stop and say “You know what Phi…” or “Phi, what do you think?” it catches me a little off guard and gets my attention.  It almost personalizes our conversation more and makes me feel like the person I am speaking with really cares about me and my thoughts and is engaged in our conversation.

A lot of the conversations I have are via text (modern day communication for busy friends and family) where there’s no need to use a person’s name, interactions with my family where they don’t address me as anything or just “mommy”, and with people in the outside world that are either complete strangers or acquaintances.  When someone uses my name it makes me think “Gee...they really know who I am and want to talk to me” and it makes me feel more invested in our conversation.

After realizing how it makes me feel when someone uses my name in a conversation or in passing I have tried to do the same.  I am not sure if other people notice or if it has the same effect on other people as it does on me, but it makes me feel like I am being more “real” and more present in my conversations with people.