As a kid I hated my name. My name is Ernest (shortened to Ernie, of course) When I was little, sesame street (a children's show here in the states) was just getting popular. One of the characters was named Ernie...and he lived with his good friend Burt. So, obviously when I got to school, all I ever heard was "Hey, Ernie, Where's Burt??" I hated my name so bad that in second grade I decided to change it. Unfortunately, I didn't bother to tell anyone else. I simply started turning in papers at school with the name "Dennis" on them. Inevitably, the teacher was returning graded papers and got to mine. "Who's Dennis?" Mortified and beet red, I retrieved my paper and decide to go back to being Ernie because at least then I only got laughed at by the other kids. This Dennis thing brough the teacher to raccous laughter too.
Finally, I was in Junior High school. Most of the kids realized that the whole "Where's Burt? " thing was old. Then that putz, Jim Varney started making those stupid "Ernest" movies...you know..."Ernest Goes to Camp" "Ernest Goes to Jail" "Ernest Saves Christmas"...His sidekick was Vern...so now it was "Y'know whut I mean, Vern?"....GRRRRR
I am proud now that I know the heritage of my name. I was named for a mountain of a man, my great grandfather, Ernest Perrot who worked hard all his life and was a good man. I can live with it. It was a bitch to grow up with it,in addition to being a witness too.
Burt & Ernie (Ernie is on the right)
Ernest P. Worrell