Anxiety Over Bubbles and #2 Pencils

Back when side ponytails and shoulder pads were all the rage, I was discovering that my name was problematic.

Not in the sense that it was offensive, but that it was too long.

When it was time to fill out forms, I was always the last in my class to finish writing their name. I am a firstborn, first-generation student - coming in last in any capacity was not acceptable.

My best friend at the time had a four-letter first name and a two-letter last name. I thought she was the luckiest girl in the world. We even crafted a fantasy future where I’d marry her brother, we’d become sisters with the same two-letter last name, and he’d teach me how to make egg rolls - my favorite dish at their family’s restaurant. It was a perfect plan. Except…