My Parents Gave Me a Gender-Neutral Name, and What Can I Say? It's Awesome!

Much to their surprise, it was me! A girl with a bowl cut and an assortment of large bows that my mom consistently rotated through my hair. Most of the time, teachers were interested."Where did your parents get that from?" or"Is it a family name or something?" were frequently asked questions.

Don't get me wrong, I've gotten plenty of jokes through the years about how I share my moniker with the beloved family pet. I've also had dozens of people ask me if my name was Mercy on the phone, which always required quickly spelling it out.

All kidding aside, the fact that most people thought I was a boy only became more and more amusing as I got older.All kidding aside, the fact that most people thought I was a boy only became more and more amusing as I got older. I could always count on a confused college professor or a slew of professional emails during my time spent as a sports reporter where I was addressed with male pronouns.

Regardless of the impending confusion, it was always a great conversation starter, and looking back, I'm confident it made me more outgoing and able to navigate awkward situations well. Not to mention, being constantly misgendered — even if it's well-meaning — taught me to not take myself too seriously. I know, I might be in the minority as far as that goes, but it was nothing worth getting upset over for me.

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