Omega Editorial #9 - Sept. 24, 2008

WHAT’S IN A NAME?
As you may or (more likely) may not have noticed, I’ve changed my name.
OK, the change from “Dave” to “David” isn’t exactly huge, but it’s a decision that I’ve been wrestling with for some time.
And I don’t expect people to begin calling me David in social situations. My friends know me as Dave, and that’s how I hope to continue to be known when I’m out in public.
This change is meant to only impact my writing. My by-line will now read “David Ford”.
I just feel like “Dave Ford” is really bland and ordinary. (I mean the name, not the person.)
It’s only two syllables. It’s a mere eight letters. It doesn’t stand out in a crowd, particularly when that crowd includes a guy with an acute accent in his name. (That’s right, Hébert, I’m talking to you.)
I know “David Ford” doesn’t exactly set the world on fire, either. But I have to do the best with what God (or my parents) gave me. All I can do is try to be the best Dave or David I can be.
I’ve been told in the past that I should throw my middle name into the equation, too. A former prof of mine told me that David Andrew Ford has a nice ring to it.
That’s all well and good, but it also seems a little bit pompous. It seems like I’m trying too hard to sound like a “real writer”. Or maybe I just don’t feel like I can live up to my full name’s lofty expectations.
Either way, for now I’m sticking with David Ford. Somehow it sounds just a bit more professional without being too overbearing.
Plus, it’ll make my mom happy. She hates that people call me Dave.
A rose by any other name