Common talked about it in “The Light” and Shakespeare referenced it in Romeo and Juliet. There is so much in a name and traveling to a foreign country pretty much guarantees that your American name will be butchered. However, I prefer the way my name sounds in Spanish-speaking countries better than it does in the United States. In Mexico and South America, Lindsay is not “Lend See,” it is “Leend Sigh.”

FORMER SPELLING BEE CHAMP

It’s very important to me that names are pronounced correctly. Above all, it’s important that they’re spelled correctly. My name is inevitably spelled with an “E” by so many. A Starbucks barista even went as far as spelling my name, “Lyndzie,” on one occasion. Inventive – I’ll give her that. As a young, Spelling Bee champ on multiple occasions, the proper spelling is key.

Completely exhausted from all the effort I have been putting into getting this project off the ground, I greeted a coworker with the entirely wrong name, recently. I immediately realized my blunder and apologized sincerely.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRONUNCIATION

When asked my name, I pronounce it with a predominant “A” sound as my dear mother intended for it to. There is absolutely no “E” sound or spelling in my name. Yet, most pronounce Lindsay, “Lend See” as I stated above. I have learned not to make a big fuss about this – at least not as big of a fuss as I might make about, say, the differences between to, too, and two.

“Linds” is reserved for those I am close to, those who know me well. In my past, I’ve gone as far as to tell someone that he can no longer address me as “Linds.” That is how important names are to me, how much reverence a name instills.

I went out on a limb and named this blog, “The Road Linds Travels,” because I intend for my readers to get to know me well, and honestly, it was a deliberate play on words about the road less traveled. Also, I had a strong desire to spell traveled with two L’s blaming the English in me on that account.

I thoroughly enjoy the sound of my name as it rolls off the tongue of a native Spanish speaker – you will hear no qualms from me on that account. I fancy it so much that my Twitter handle happens to be @Leend_Sigh.<—(Intentional plug to implore you to follow me!) Perhaps this is a subtle sign from the Universe that I should be setting up home in a predominantly Spanish-speaking country or at least doing more traveling through such locales!