Kristina Who?

My name is Kristina, but no one calls me that. My Dad loved the name Maria and was certain that was going to be my name. My mom on the other hand had a different plan. She wanted all of her daughters to have an eight letter name ending in 'a' (it's odd, I know). So when it came to naming me, my parents compromised on the name Kristina, it sounded like Maria (kind of) and had eight letters ending in 'a' like my mom wanted. That is why my name is spelt with a K, not a Ch.

My mom never intended any of her children to be called by nicknames, so it's unusual that I along with my two sisters and brother have extremely long names (Victoria, Samantha, Alessandro). By time my mom got to her 5th kid she probably realized that nicknames were inevitable. My youngest brother is named Jack.

Bean 

When it comes to nicknames, I have a million unusual nicknames. Since I was a baby I was called "Bean." Everyone always asks how did you get that name? Where did it come from? I ask the same questions. I have no idea why I am called Bean or Beanie, it's just always how it has been. When I question my parents they say, "We called you Green Bean Casion." Even when I hear that I think well why were my parents calling me a green casino... I don't know. That is why when people ask me why I am called Bean I just say I don't know, it's been like that since before I remember.

I was always the girl that no one knew what to call. In class my friends called me Kristina, but outside of class they would call me Bean. My grandmas, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends parents would all call me Bean. Some teachers would catch onto my nickname and call me Bean, while others would ignore it. I never wrote Bean on my papers even though I wanted to.

When I got to high school I didn't know what to tell people to call me. My old friends from middle school called me Bean, but how could I go up to someone I was meeting for the first time and say, "Hi, I'm bean!" That just sounds weird. I ended up introducing myself as Kristina, even thought they knew my name was Bean. Some would try to call me Bean, except they would add an "S" and call me Beans. I hated that. Many people thought Kristina and Bean were two different people, so it was like I had two separate identities. By time everyone got used to Bean, my named changed again.

I don't know where the nickname Bernard came from, but I am called that. It is like the ugliest, most repulsive name for a girl in my opinion (sorry for anyone that is actually named Bernard). I don't even find the St. Bernard dog cute. Though the nickname is relatively new, I can't pinpoint when it started. I know that at first my sister and her friends would call me Bernice, an ugly name just to embarrass me. We'd be out in public and they'd address me as Bernice, which I responded to. It was a freshman in high school when this started, so for people to know who I was made me happy. My sister would introduce me to her friends as Bernice and I would just go along with it. To this day, my freshman year gym teacher calls me Bernie. Whenever I would see him in the hallway or outside of school he'd say "Hey Bernie!" I swear, only I can get a nickname from a nickname. Everyone knows that is not my real name, yet they continued to call me it.

Once Bernice got old I started getting called Bernard. It's not even like my name starts with a B so I don't know why all my ugly nicknames start with a B. People call me Bernard, Nardy, Nardia, literally any variation they can think of. It's not even like these nicknames are just from friends; my parents, grandparents, cousins, all call me it. My dad addresses me as Princess Nardia and when my mom is mad she'll say Bernard! This started as a joke, but my nicknames have become part of my identity.

I don't mind being called by these nicknames by people I know. I think its funny that my parents actually call me Nardy for no apparent reason. Before I came to college the big debate was whether or not I should continue being called by these ugly names - I chose not to. The only thing I hate about these names is explaining to people how I got them or why I'm called that because I really have no idea.
I know it is only a matter of time before I have a new nickname.