Nicknames

Growing up the little sister of two older brothers, I was subject to my fair share of teasing. The name that stuck for a good 25 years or so (and still occasion from my oldest brother), was the name Bill. Because it is a somewhat obscure reference to a TV movie from 1983, let me explain. Bill was a mentally disabled man played by Mickey Rooney. In pre-PC days, some teacher must have thought it a good learning experience for her students to watch. My brother and his friends, being in the 7th grade, missed the intended compassionate message and instead started calling anyone who did something "retarded" Bill. I was five and the name stuck. I was reminded by this yesterday when we all got a good laugh at the adopted child mother's day card (in my defense, there wasn't a label!).