Hey Doucette!

As soon as I got to college, I felt like I immediately landed in a zone where no one had first names. "Hey Compan" was a refrain commonly heard when I saw someone I knew. Similarly, I called everyone by their last names, too. I actually had one friend that I sometimes forgot her first name because I so infrequently called her by it.

As a teacher, I have become accustomed to hearing my last name constantly as well. Obviously, students don't call me by my first name; however, they are creating varieties of Doucette like Mrs. Douce, Ms. D, or just Doucette to compensate for my nickname. Yet recently hearing who said my last name and to whom they were speaking cracked me up.

I was walking with Evan into daycare one morning and we walked by the kitchen where a teacher and a little girl were preparing the snacks. I was jolted by "Hey Doucette!" I looked to see who could possibly be talking to me, but no one responded back. Evan and I continued to his classroom and began putting his coat and backpack away.

The same little girl that was preparing the snack came walking in the room and hugged Evan. She said, "Doucette-- I missed you!" Doucette? Doesn't he have a name? Evan seemed completely unaffected by the fact that his first name disappeared.

I giggled a little and asked his teacher if that is what all the students call him. She said that many of the students have taken to calling him Doucette instead of Evan. She commented that "it just seems to fit him." At first I thought that maybe there was another Evan in the room, so last names were used to differentiate. Nope! He is the only Evan: a one of a kind.

I think that is a compliment. I took that greeting as they feel comfortable with Evan and like hanging out with their buddy Doucette. However, I am still puzzled by how he took a leap in status that it takes most of us at least 16 years to accomplish. Nonetheless, I know to look now when I hear someone yell "Hey Doucette!"