Happy is a Rose – The Weird Side of the Internet

Happy is a Rose – The Weird Side of the Internet – by Liam Sweeny.

What’s in a name? If that isn’t the most tired clichés of openings whenever a name comes in, but names are important. No matter what label gets slapped on us throughout our lives, our names are the first, and closest one. If you have a name like Bill Smith or Sarah Jones (no offense to anyone so-named) you may not pay much attention to your name aside from hearing it when you get to the front of the line at the DMV. But I can attest to the fact that, being a ‘Liam’ in the eighties, the travails of an odd name can pop up throughout your life as a storm cloud. Silver lining, of course, is that ‘Liam’ had the capability of becoming popular, and it did.

But am I Happy? Nope.

‘Happy’ is the name of Japanese man Terauchi Happy. Yes, Happy is his first name. His mother named him after the feeling she had when he was born. And this is the reason he hasn’t had it changed. But it’s been nothing but a source of vexation in his life.

I think you can imagine what the kids did to him in school, bullying him and marveling that, as they’re pummeling him, that he’s still ‘Happy.’ And I can imagine it was a schoolyard sport to find unique ways to crack on him.

Work hasn’t been much better, employers throwing away his resume thinking it was a prank. Apparently sales is the only vocation in which his name is a plus.

Worst thing is it killed his engagement to be married, as her family just couldn’t get over it. And I think this might be do to it being in Japan, where traditional values might hold a bigger sway, but I could be wrong, because depending on the family in America, a guy named Happy might not get asked to pass the mashed potatoes… not by name.

Parents, name your kid wisely.

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