I like nicknames. They just make my life easier somehow. It probably started when I was a teacher many moons ago, and some of my students had them. This was to help me to keep straight all the Jennifers, Mikes, etc so that when I was talking to a specific one, they knew who I was talking too.

They also come in handy when you are talking about someone and that person might be nearby and using a different name will not alert that person you are talking about them with someone else. Sure, not always the nicest thing to do, but we all gossip and have to find ways to do this without offending others. Continue reading →