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eric on Dec 3rd 2008 at 2:56 pm Random Life Stuff

My name is not Chris…

Something odd, yet familiar happened to me today. I was at the bank making a deposit. The teller lady was nice and looked up my account number for me. I gave her my name. I said, Eric Swanger.

After all was wrapping up, she said, “Thanks, and have a good day, Chris.”

I paused. Like I said, it seemed familiar. Chris? I said to her, “Eric.” “Right, right,” she replied, “I don’t know why I called you Chris.”

“It happens a lot,” I said while backing slowly away.

And it does. I am called “Chris” more than anything (aside from Eric and Herc). Why? I’m never called any other names. Nobody ever mistakes me for a John or a Mark. I’m never called Tony or Leroy or Merv Griffin. Nobody ever thinks I’m Dale.

So what gives?

This all started back in elementary school. My best friend was Chris Hackenburg. We were both short and blond and into Star Wars (a lot). So it was my assumption, then, that when Mrs. Heath or Mr. Gessner (my 2nd and 3rd grade teachers) would call me “Chris,” it was because they actually thought that I was Chris.

But Chris was never called Eric. Nevertheless, I figured our similarities were the reason that I received the moniker “Chris.”

Through middle school and high school, I was still called “Chris” on more occasions than I can remember. Now it was starting to happen with people who didn’t know Chris Hackenburg, who had never seen Chris Hackenburg. What the hell, huh?

And after high school too! At work, co-workers who knew my name would mistakenly call me Chris. Girls who I didn’t know would, for some reason, just assume my name was Chris. Devotees who knew very well that I wasn’t named Chris, would just blurt out “Chris!”

When I worked at the bookstore and even when I owned my own, customers, delivery people, customer service representatives and pretty much everybody else would either mistakenly call me Chris or would assume my name actually was Chris.

Then there is Bhakta Chris at New Vrndavana, who residents sometimes mistake for me. Madhava Ghosh got us together to prove that we’re not the same person.

And then there is today. It wasn’t just an east coast thing. The “Chris” problem has followed me to Seattle. How? Why? What the hell is going on?!

These questions have bothered me for decades now. Does this sort of thing happen to other people? Is Ryan sometimes called “Timmy”? Is Sarah sometimes called “Debbie”? Do people ever call Calder “Torgo”? And if not, why not? I’ve probably been mistakenly called “Chris” a hundred times. It happens four or five times a year.

Can anyone shed light onto this?



Related posts:

  1. Conflict of interest.
  2. Flapping my broken wings.
  3. Leaving to find a better reason than the one I’m living for…
  4. Why can’t people pronouce “vegan”?

12 responses so far

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12 Comments

Comment by izzyNo Gravatar
2008-12-03 15:07:27

you must look like a chris…chris. oh im sorry i ment eric just kidding yea idk y ppl call u chris lol

Comment by ericNo Gravatar
2008-12-04 07:05:38

I wish I knew. Maybe I do look more like a Chris than an Eric. Hm…..

 
 
Comment by CalderNo Gravatar
2008-12-03 18:28:45

I’ve never had mistakes like that. People have thought that I was a professor, a manager, or in one case a session musician, but they all got my name right.

Comment by ericNo Gravatar
2008-12-04 07:05:15

The plot thickens. You’d be a fun manager.

 
 
Comment by RatiNo Gravatar
2008-12-04 06:34:32

Maybe you actually got initiated, but just don’t remember?

Comment by ericNo Gravatar
2008-12-04 07:04:34

Initiated as Chris? Hm.. Sure, there are much worse names to get… but Chris dasa? Which Chris am I servant of? Please let it be Christopher Walken… PLEASE!

Comment by RatiNo Gravatar
2008-12-04 11:05:58

Well, it was during a very interesting, but not very known about period where certain people thought it would be a good idea to try to blend in more with mainstream society. So devotees were given names that were more commonly accepted in their particular country. You should try reading the Bhagavad Gita from that time. Dennis askes Steve, “After assembling on the battled field at Kent, what did my sons and the sons of Paul do?”

Since Christopher Walken is accepted in mainstream society, I would say it could absolutely be him. Why not? Also, it would not be Chris dasa, as dasa is not a common american term. The fact that you’re servant would just be understood.

(How’d you like that strange little glimpse into the mind of Rati?)

PS Just in case anyone is confused, the above is not historically accurate.

Comment by ericNo Gravatar
2008-12-04 11:59:31

Oh my god, if I weren’t vegan, I’d totally be shooting milk out of my nose. You’re hilarious!

You should have a blog.

Comment by RatiNo Gravatar
2008-12-04 16:15:45

Yeah, maybe, but I can only function off of inspiration. I don’t come up with much out of the clear blue.

Hey, guess what I’ve been doing today? (Dwija really wanted me to tell you.)

I’ve been trying out ubuntu. I like it!

Comment by ericNo Gravatar
2008-12-04 16:24:10

Woo!! yay!! take THAT, bill gates!

for what you do, i think ubuntu should be fine and dandy.

Comment by RatiNo Gravatar
2008-12-05 06:08:45

I REALLY like ubuntu!!!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Comment by MichaelNo Gravatar
2008-12-05 05:58:26

What? Your name isn’t Chris?

 

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