08/26/2026
📚✏️ “ODD-way?”
“Nope. It’s ODE-way.”
If you've ever had your name mispronounced on the first day of school, you know that little pause when the teacher reaches your name on the attendance sheet. 😬
For me, it was a September tradition. By June, they knew it.
Then September came around again… and so did the pronunciation lesson. 😂
College? Same story.
New jobs? Same story.
New people and new introductions throughout life? You guessed it.
But somewhere along the way, I realized my unusual surname wasn't just something to correct.
It was part of my story.
And that's what inspired my latest blog: “An Ode to a Surname.” ✍️
It's a personal story with a little humor about growing up with an uncommon name. And a bigger message about why names matter.
For every child who waits nervously during roll call…
For every student who wonders how their name will sound coming from someone else's mouth…
For every adult who has quietly corrected the pronunciation of their name more times than they can count…
Speak up. Say your name. Teach others how to say it.
Because your name carries more than letters.
It carries family. History. Heritage. Identity. ❤️
And when we take the time to learn someone's name and say it correctly, we're saying: You matter. You belong.
Here's to all the wonderfully uncommon names out there.
Mine isn't odd. It's ODE-way. 😉
📖 Read the full “ode to a surname” here: https://cyanpoint.com/2026/08/an-ode-to-a-surname/.