What's in a name?

It is a question that defines the basis of many interactions. Instead of bringing up topics from Freakonomics and other pop-cultural analyses of the effect of a given name on a child, I would like to offer my thoughts on significant nicknames, specific to me, and their subsequent effect on me. Basically, it is a sort of tribute to close friends who had nicknames for me and the reason why I am using the name Thakman Jones.

My first nickname was "Bhai", which means brother. My sister still calls me that as well as permutations of that.

I would have to go back to 5th grade basketball for my second nickname - Rahulahoop or contracted to Hulahoop. There was a fellow on the team whose last name was "Koster" and we called him[His first name] "Rolla Koster". The best one, though, was a fellow with the surname Prosser, who we called "Food Processor" due to his propensity to always be eating something. To be honest, I really liked the name. It was the first time I felt I was part of a group and accepted. Mild hazing is to be expected after one moves from one place to another, and well, I endured my share for ~2 yrs until this day in the gym in P.E. class.

The next significant time point transpired in high school, perhaps 10th and 12th grade. In 10th grade, I made a friend who is one of the most dependable people and good friend thatI will know in this lifetime. The name was bestowed was "Hulra". It is a simple, effective syllabic juxtaposition and after 16 yrs, my good friend still leaves voicemails calling me by that name. 12th grade brings back one of my most bittersweet memories. That's when the nickname, "G$"came about, and that too is 14 years strong with friends back home. Neal Jameson was one of the most hard working and intelligent people I have ever met. He and I teamed up on our 12th grade AP English poetry project. To cut a story short, I basically found a certain type of consonance in a poem, and it was the last item required for our project. I brought it over to Neal, he looked at it and pronounced, "Gee, you're on the money! Heh, G$!" My middle initial is in fact "G", and hence this name was fun.

It also gave me a touch of "street cred" on the basketball courts of the crazy, rugged suburbs I grew up in. It is funny; it does not matter if you have a jumpshot, but if people call you G$, people tend guard you tighter and pay more attention to you. The only drawback of this nickname was this fact. Under the glaring spotlight, my jumpshot suffered and I need mine. to play effectively on the offensive side. Anyone who has met me in person will understand why a low post game near the hoop would not be my strong point. :)

I had known Neal for many years. When I found out ~3 yrs ago he had died, it really hurt. Too this day, when I hear G$, I think of the of doing school projects and playing basketball with Neal.; it is a tribute to Neal's wit and our friendship.

In college, well, it was "Hulio." The closest friends in undergrad all called me Hulio. Pretty self-explanatory. That is the name that brings back the worst memories, not because of the name, but rather the set of experiences accompanying that name. My friends from undergrad are tremendous people and great friends, but undergrad was a very trying time with some very hard experiences. When I hear Hulio, it helps me remember the significant events that pushed me onto the course I am now.

And this leads me to the present day and perhaps, the most elaborate name on the listas well as the shortest. Heh. "Thakman Jones" "RaRa", and "Hul".

The friend who calls me RaRa did it in response to my contracting the first the syllable of her name and repeating it. Hul comes from my good friend, who interestingly, at one point in time resembled Nicholas Cage in Con Air. My long haired friend's effect has been immense, as it is fairly common for me to be referred to as Hul.

Finally, some of you that are familiar with pro football know the dubious, Adam "Pacman"Jones. He is now a cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, my favorite NFL team. Adam Jones has had numerous brushes with the law and expanding this topic would be an entertaining post in and of itself. A very good friend, noticed the rhyme with my last name and Adam Jones' name. And the ironic thing is that I am nothing like Pacman, so the absurdity is ripe for fun to be had! This friend has had my back many times, and well, there is a certain joy when this nickname comes up. It is just funny. And I just want to make it rain. :)

I made a mistake a week ago. In an effort to start acting more professional and more "grown up", I became fidgety with that name. That was wrong. And the reason, is quite simple and serves as a concluding statement for this post:

Nicknames in the context I am speaking of (versus bad nicknames, like nicknames that chip away at who you are) are bestowed by friends to friends. It is in effect a verbal time capsule. If someone throws out a Hulra in my direction or Thakman Jones at me 10 years down the road, it will bring a beaming smile to my face. These names represent memories I have had a chance to forge with my friends and most importantly, the name represents a unique bond with those people who hold me dear and care about me.

So this is Thakman Jones signing out. I hope this post has given you a little insight to why this name exists and why I am using it now!

Next post topic - Some thoughts on the upcoming NCAA college football season. Also, in upcoming posts, I will figure out a better color scheme, play with posting links/video/photos, and basically come up with a more visually robust text. Thanks for allowing me a couple posts to learn the interface/options/etc. and get my feet underneath me.