Nicholas is a somewhat uncommon name. three syllables, all leaving the mouth with a sharp tone. 

It doesn’t roll off the tongue, nor is it easy to say continuously.  Nicholas. That’s why I go by Nick. Nick is simple, Nick is one syllable. Nick represents me. Nicholas is too convoluted. I am a simple person and Nicholas sounds too complicated.

The thing is, I don’t want to change my name. While I prefer Nick, I will never let Nicholas get lost or changed. It still fits a part of me. Nick is simple, but I don’t always want that to be what I go by. When I get older, who knows which I will prefer. Both name and nickname represent something about me. Nick represents simplicity, while Nicholas represents more complexity and thoughtfulness.

As I said, Nick represents the simplicity with which I go about my life. I have organized my complex schedule to a fairly regular system. School and workouts Monday-Friday, with three days of hockey between, and my ski patrol class on Wednesdays. I play more hockey on the weekends and spend time with my friends. I find myself having little time between this schedule and my homework, but stress doesn’t seem to pile up. I get studying done, no matter how long it takes, and I am able to be confident going into anything I do. Nick is simple, like the way I live.

Another reason I prefer Nick is because Nicholas sounds somewhat regal, like Earl (which is my middle name, by the way). Nicholas, the name born by several popes and leaders throughout history, means conquering in English and Dutch, and power in some other languages. To myself and everybody else, I interact with on a regular basis, it means nothing. It is different, as few people go by Nicholas, but I feel as though it doesn’t represent myself. It stands out when read aloud or seen on paper. I prefer that my name is not what I’m noticed for, but rather an achievement or something more important. 

I do not know why I was given the name Nicholas. Nobody in my immediate family is named as such, and there is no story behind it. I wish I had one, like all of the people who are able to tell anybody who asks the long story of how their parents met, went somewhere, etc. This would likely give me more reason to go by Nicholas, as there would be something behind it, something meaningful. But alas, there is nothing that I am aware of.