What's in a name?

"What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet."
-- Juliet Capulet from William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

For the star-crossed lovers in the Bard's masterpiece about their tragic romance -- an affair doomed even before its inception -- their family names were of little importance. As one literary critic has penned, Juliet was communicating her opinion that a name is merely "an artificial and meaningless convention".

Perhaps that was true for those teenage lovers, but for me -- and probably for many a father or mother around this big blue marble on which we reside -- to be known by a certain name is, indeed, of great importance.

Random Thought 1: "It doesn't matter what your name is!" -- The Rock.
Response to Random Thought 1: Uh, yeah it does, Mr. The Rock. Sorry.

Throughout my life, I've been known by several nicknames; some flattering, some the opposite of flattering. As a kid, there was "Jaws," given to me by my sisters because, according to them, I talked too much. Way too much. Occasionally, actually a lot more than occasionally, my Pop referred to me as "Boy", "Jughead", and "Whatever Your Name Is."

Easy on Pop, now, there were five of us running around La Casa del Carter. It was hard to keep track of us sometimes.

My classmates at school were at times a little less than courteous in their usage of noms de guerre for me. There were various monikers (see insults) that rhymed with my last name, "Carter", in addition to their favorite, albeit cliche, "Four Eyes". I wore the old Coke-bottle thick glasses, that were frequently targeted by soccer balls, basketballs, dodge balls, kick balls, and any other projectile available on the playground.

Random Thought 2: Was I a nerd back in the day? Oh yes. Still am. A pushover on the playground? About 50-50. But I gained my revenge in fifth grade by winning the Seffner Elementary Bicycle Rodeo -- using a hand-me-down bike from my sister. Ha! Yes. It had a sissy bar. Why do you ...? Ugh!

I'll bypass the couple of nicknames I picked up in high school. In college, I became known as "Guido" for a time, all thanks to a grey fedora and a grey trench coat that I wore frequently during my freshman year. The moniker "AC" also came into play during my college years. And that one -- thankfully -- is really the only one that has stuck with me.

Marriage brought on a handful of new pet names, none of which are any of your business. All right, the fair Jolene calls me "Baby".

Like I said, some of the names were flattering ...

Wait a minute. Actually, hardly any of those names were flattering. What was I thinking? Well, "AC" and "Baby" are fine.

Okay, enough of the set up, let's get to the point of all this.
I don't remember the exact day or date that my son Joel first called me "Daddy"; all I know is that the first time that I heard his sweet little voice utter the word "Daddy", I was totally done, all in, if you will.

Random Thought 3: He had me at "Daddy". He had me at "Daddy".

While nothing will ever top Joel calling me "Daddy", there is one other name that comes really close. It's a name that a lot of his little buddies use when they see me: "Hey, Joel's Daddy!" Yep. I get the big head when I hear the mini folk call me by that name. The "warm-fuzzy effect" also kicks in when I hear that name called out. It's a good thing, to be sure.

So, to answer Juliet's question, "What's in a name?"

I say ... everything.

Plus, it would be really weird if Joel called me "Rose".