Thursday, January 14, 2010

Ginger

I don't know if anyone I work with actually reads my blog.
I know they've SEEN it before, but I doubt they actually read it.

Even if they do, I don't care. I'm not saying anything negative towards anyone.

When I went back to work on Monday, they had hired 2 new people.
Funny how much of a difference a week can make.

One of them was a guy named Andrew from South Korea. He's nice and we get along, so there's no problem there.

The other person was a girl named Lei (pronounced Lee).
She's a very sweet girl and I have absolutely no problem with her.

I have a problem with the fact that while my coworkers all refer to her as Lei, they now refer to me as Ginger.
And her name isn't even Lei. Her name is something they "can't pronounce", so they just call her by her last name.

When they started calling me Ginger, I figured it was just a joke nickname that would pass.
They'd been calling me that ever since I started working there, but it was rarely used. It was mostly in a joke capacity.

Today my boss said that the other girl is Lei, and that I'm Ginger.

I didn't correct her, and I really don't have the courage to say anything to anyone.
The truth is, it hurts my feelings that while I have been there for almost 5 months, I have to give up my name.
I've been Lee the entire time I was there. I come back from being gone for a week, and I'm not Lee anymore. I'm Ginger.

Plus, it's as if they've completely forgotten the fact that my name is actually Jerri, and that they could easily call me by that.
I've seriously considered dying my hair another color so that they couldn't call me Ginger anymore.

I don't know why it bothers me so much. Hearing someone say "Ginger, come here" in a serious way, as if I don't have an actual name, stings.

Am I overreacting?

13 comments:

Wendyburd1 said...

If it offends you, speak up! Talk to your boss privately and have him tell his employees.
Why are you going by Lee if your name is Jerri, I never got that? Do you not like Jerri? Is it short for something?

Kristina P. said...

Ummm, I didn't even know your name was Jerri!!

I don't know if I would go to the boss first. I would say something to them, the next time they say something. You can do it in a way that's not offensive.

Unknown said...

i can't stand name-calling.
i love your hair... and if you like it keep it! don't let them bother you.

Kimmy said...

Ummm, yeah...it would bother me too!! Especially if that isn't even your name. They need to either keep calling you Lee and the other girl Lei but maybe add the last name or initial. That's what we did at my job cause their were two Kim's. I would speak up if I were you. That's just me though.

Anonymous said...

I think you have every right to politely mention that you'd prefer to be called Jerri. I don't know if you can really argue to still be called Lee, I guess you could because having two people by the same name isn't really mindblowing, but I'm not sure how to approach that. I guess next time someone calls you Ginger you could reply with something like "I'd actually prefer to be called Lee (or Jerri)" maybe?

Erin said...

That's definitely bizarre. Maybe you can ask the girl if she has another American name she would like to go by. Good luck to you.

Mrs. M said...

Unless you work on Gilligan's Island, I think you have every right to be bothered!

Anonymous said...

What??? That's freaking BS. No, they should NOT being calling you Ginger. What the F??

Anonymous said...

Ginger! That sucks sooo bad.
I read this in school but I wasn't able to comment on it because blogger.com is blocked but the individual URLs aren't.
I would hate it if somebody called me a name I didn't want to be called by.
Whenever someone calls me a stupid name I'm just like "Don't call me that, ever again." and they don't. =/

Amander said...

I didn't know your name was Jerri either!

I would just not respond if they called me Ginger. How annoying!

Adit said...

I think you could politely correct them once, just be replying back "its jerri"... If that doesn't work out over time, ignorance is the best tool to use.. It'll be gone in a jiffy.. If you try talking about it, it would only make it more of fun for them to tease you..

Just don't respond to Ginger, its not your name !!!

Anonymous said...

Wow...that wouldn't go over real well with me! You have a right to be called by your name.

Sheri, RN said...

Wow. You're not over reacting at all. I'd be seriously pissed and offended too. I'd say something if I were you. You have a right to be called by your name, not a made up name you didn't approve of. You're at work, you aren't there to have "fun" and people shouldn't make you feel that way. Speak up! Hope it works out well for you after you do so. ::hugs::

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