Prompt:  What nicknames have you had? Who knew you that way? How did the nickname come about? Which nicknames do you like or dislike?

As I look back over my lifetime, my earliest nickname was "little sammy".  Some of my father's friends called him "Sam" and I don't know who or why.  This was as a very small child prior to kindergarten.

My family members always referred to me as "Goldie" and this is the name I grew up with.  At last year's 50th Class Reunion, everyone still referred to me as "Goldie" because I grew up with that name among my associates and peers in school.  Many of my dad's friends referred to him with this nickname, and I'm not really sure how it came about.  Perhaps it was because both my dad and I had blonde hair growing up.

In grade school, I was referred to as "Adam Bomb" owing to the times.  We were, as a nation, experiencing the "Cold War" with Russia, and during these years, some of the new homes being built had their basements as a bomb shelter, should Russia decide to bomb the United States and declare war.  I think we even had bomb shelter evacuation drills at Garland Grade School.

When I moved from home and went to college, I took my real name of "Golden" and that is how most of my associates, colleagues, and peers referred to me as acquaintances as well as professionally.  I really didn't care for any of my nicknames, and have preferred to be called "Golden" since I was seventeen years of age.

It is interesting that I can tell the time period/relationship by the name various associates call me.