Last straw

I can't say that there is a lot that truly pisses me off.

Okay. So I tend to "rant" a bit on here. But keep in mind, most of it is tongue in cheek. And very rarely is it based on anything that TRULY makes me mad or upset. Or sure, it may be annoying, but nothing so severe I find myself actually getting angry about.

That ends today.

There IS something that can bug me so much I find myself getting angry about it.

I hate it when people mispronounce my name.

I am very understanding of the fact that my name (And no, I'm not referring to "Thatgirl7278"), is difficult to pronounce. I get it. Really.

You don't think I've gone my ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE hearing bullshit versions of my name? I have.

So when complete strangers fuck it up. It's all good. I mean, it happens. I realize it's not easy and that's cool. But when a friend, a colleague or maybe even someone whose throat I've stuck my tongue down can't get it right... that's when I get annoyed/pissed.

I admit. Some of the fault may fall on my shoulders. I suppose I could have corrected the situation. But believe it or not, it is very difficult to correct someone of something like this. It's not like saying, "No, the capitol of Alaska is not Anchorage, it's Juno." People won't feel like an idiot if you correct them on something like that. Because, really, no one gives a shit what the capitol of Alaska is... so who cares if you get it wrong. What people DO care about is the fear of insulting someone. So when someone finds out that they've been saying your name wrong for the entire length of time you've known them - they are embarrassed because they think they've insulted you by fucking up your name for so long. And let's face it, they kind of have. But it's not like they just called your mom an ugly crack smoking whore, so it's inevitably forgivable.

The issue I'm struggling with right now, is... when is it too late to correct someone? A month? Two months? A year?

I once corrected someone after 2 years of her saying incorrectly. And by that point, I REALLY didn't want to do it. In fact, it was peer pressure that made me say anything at all. A mutual friend was like "if you don't tell her, I will!" So then I had to do it. It was pretty rough. And immediately afterwards, I felt like shit. Because as I was correcting her, she gave me this look. You know... the look. It's the "oh-fuck-I-can't-believe-I've-been-saying-her-damn-name-wrong-for-two-whole-years" look.

So now I'm faced with this issue with 2 separate people. Both of whom say it in 2 very different ways.

Now, I've tried the passive way of correcting them. I'll always say my name when I leave a voice mail message or when we're talking on the phone. I'll incorporate a story that involves someone calling my name out or whatever. But it doesn't seem to be making any difference. And now, I have to admit, it's starting to really bug me.

Oh well. I guess I'll just have to figure this out on my own. Or at least until I just break down and scream at them... MY NAME IS ARIANNA, DAMNIT! SAY IT RIGHT, DUMBASS!