This is a Public Service Announcement. Fellow citizens of the World, it is with the utmost pride and sincerity that I present this dialogue, as a living testament and recollection of history in the making as today is the day when you finally learn to say my name.
Allow me to reintroduce myself my name is HOV Jacyra. You may know me as Jay Bee. Simply put:
Keep my name out of your mouth if you cannot handle its greatness!
Honestly, I’m sick and tired of people out here dissecting, interpreting, mispronouncing, remixing and putting a spin on my name. It really is not that hard to pronounce once you try. If you can’t get your head around 6 tiny letters on a page, please feel free to just ask me how to say it, I am more than happy to educate. But no, some of you do the most and would rather just take it upon yourself to try it out for size and see if it fits your narrow tongue. I mean, God loves a trier but sometimes just know when you’re defeated and ask for help.
My name is my name; you better start putting some respect on my name.
This post was triggered by an event that happened at work earlier this week.
Story Time: Once upon a time a delivery man walks into the work premises of Jay Bee to deliver some stationery. Delivery man scans the room looking for the intended recipient. He stands firm and proud and boldly declares in front of the entire office ‘Delivery for George Baptist’. Goodness child, who in the hell is that? wondered Jay Bee. She had placed a stationary order the day before but Delivery man must have the wrong office as no one in the office had that name. Unknowingly she continues to type away,the report is due at 5pm after all and she wants to leave on time. A couple of seconds later, Jay Bee’s feels a slight tap on her left shoulder. She looks up and it is one of her colleagues inquiring ‘Jacyra did you order some stationery?
How does the inventory say Jacyra Baptista but yet you fixed your mouth out loud to say ‘George Baptist’.
How Sway? I need answers.
Delivery man clearly should’ve gone to Specsavers. Not only that, but how did you clean miss the ‘a’ at the end of Baptista to call me Baptist. The ‘a’ is not there for decoration.
Now… this is not the first time and certainly won’t be the last time that my name will be mangled beyond recognition, I mean I’ve been called:
Jasra, Jackra, Jazeera, Jerkeira, Jaycherie, Sarah
You name it!
But George really does take the biscuit. He honestly looked at the paper, saw my name and checked out of life.
I realise that my name is very unique and that not many people may have come across it before. However, if you only just take your time to break it down, you’d realise it that it is actually quite an easy name to pronounce. I mean it’s only three syllables.
Let’s try it together:
JA.CY.RA
To quote Warsan Shire:
“Give your daughters difficult names. Give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue. My name makes you want to tell me the truth. My name doesn’t allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right.”
My name is my identity; I wear it like a badge of honour. I’m proud of it and it’s origin. So, if I can fix my mouth to say Meredith, Dipesh, Earl etc. Then you can say Jacyra.
And my biggest pet peeve is this – after I correct people not once but normally twice on the pronunciation (because some of you are hard of hearing) they then want to turn around and tell me what a beautiful and unique name I have. I know this. But you didn’t think this two seconds ago so stop trying to placate me. You have offended me enough already.
Yes…. I know some people are being genuine when they say this. But whatever let me rant.
Nevertheless, morale of the story:
- If you don’t know how to pronounce someone’s name, then please just ask them
- If you still insist on pronouncing it without help, please apologies when you get it wrong
- Just ask for the pronunciation!!
Thank you for listening.