Imagine if you woke up one morning and your name was Yoo-shick. Your life would be much different.

First off, to clear any disbelief, yes, this name does exist. It belongs to my father.

But there’s no huge nation that was saved by this name, no huge story behind it. However, there is a long timeline of pivotal events that have built Yoo-shick into the man he is now.

But could you think of all the times people have misspelled, mispronounced and made fun of his name? In the end, he stopped shaking people’s hands and saying, “Hi, my name is Yoo-shick.” For the sake of not only the other people, but also for his own sake, Yoo-shick started telling people to call him “Joseph.” Did he not realize how special his name was? How unique the name Yoo-shick is?

To take a peek into the life of the ones with a “different” name, the pros and cons of being a unique name bearer are listed below.

THE PROS & CONS

CON: “Wait, what is it?” Meeting someone for the first time consists of repeating your name multiple times before they remember.
They can’t believe that that’s the name on your birth certificate. Great first impression.

CON: “You-Whose-Name-I-Can’t-Remember” If they still forget your name when you meet again, they call you the next common name in order to remember.
Their solution is the “I forgot your rarer-than-a-flip-phone name so I’m going to give you a new one.”
– pro: Once they get your actual name right, they’ll never be able to get it out of their head: “It’s really rare so people remember my name really well,” freshman Adora Pinner said.

CON: “Not-So-Smart Phone” Your phone always wants to auto-correct your name.
Microsoft and Google Drive do the same thing before you click ‘add to dictionary’.
– pro: But…thinking of an Instagram name or email address isn’t much of a hassle when you can just think of a pun to go with your name. Mine was @hedgiethebush.

CON: “No, it’s not short for anything.” You get asked whether your real name is actually a nickname.
I mean, I know it sounds like a name for a dog, but trust me; it’s my real name.

CON: “What if I don’t have a story?” If #4 failed, then the next thing people expect is some urban legend like Orion the constellation to come out of the meaning of your name. For example, just because the name Hedgie is of Asian descent does not make me some great hero like Mulan.
When you tell them your parents just signed a sheet of paper, no one believes you.

PRO: “I’m the original” And if you weren’t born a Jedi or demi-god and your name doesn’t have some awesome backstory, then make your life the story. Hit it big and you’ll already have a killer stage name, aka your real name.
If you become a singer, your name would make a sick album cover. Launch your own clothing line and your name could give you profit. You’re the trendsetter for names. Any celebrity that names their kids after you is using your name. Just don’t think about suing anyone because you probably don’t have any proof, unless you find a way to copyright your name. “People actually comment on the uniqueness of my name and actually really liked it,” senior Orion Lenz said.

CON: “My Name was Jennifer for a Day” Amusement parks will never have custom-made license plates, key chains or mugs with your name on it, so don’t bother looking for them. But then again, you could play pretend and buy a key chain that says ‘Jennifer.’
– pro: If you still want that key chain from Disneyland, you can always order your own at Disney’s Personalization Shop—for an extra price of course. Extra price for an extra special name.

CON: “A Mocha Latte, Easy on the Misspelling” Starbucks always spells your name wrong. You could always cheat and go the easy way by using a fake name. Just don’t forget that you are ‘Jennifer’ at Disneyland and ‘Anna’ at Starbucks.

PRO: “Which Ryan?” You don’t need to worry about the teacher calling on “Ryan” and not being sure if it’s you (Ryan) or one of the other two Ryans in 2nd period.

PRO: “Where’s Waldo?” This one is obvious: you’re a one and only…
…until you find someone else with your name.
– pro: But even when you find someone with your name, it’s like finding Waldo or a long lost twin. A double pro! Life is a win-win situation for people like you. Even Waldo is special.

Well in this case, Waldo should be Yoo-shick. Or is it Joseph? Who knows what my dad calls himself. If he just stuck with his original name, life would be less complex. Life is already so interesting with all of these pros and cons. If you are going to be known as someone, wouldn’t you want to be yourself? “I used to want a normal name, a common name … but now I realize that my name is special, just like me. I was too good for a normal name,” senior Maddix McWha said.

The name you were born with, the name that made you cry and hide, is the name that helped you overcome everything up to this point. Everyone has a lasting identity. But if your name is “out of this world” then you must be destined for greatness. You stand out. And if your name is Yoo-shick then chances are, you’re going to name your child something crazy too.

CC: Special thanks to Maddix McWha for providing the source with article inspiration.