Being born with the surname Butts has set me on a life trajectory from which I can’t break free. Strange names follow me.
Despite being fodder for the insults of middle-schoolers everywhere, I actually enjoyed having a unique name growing up. I grew used to the jokes at track meets, where long jump announcers repeatedly called out “Butts up! Butts on deck! Butts in the hole!” Mostly, it just made people remember me. I consider that a good thing.
For my first job as a software developer, I was hired by a company called Wood’s Powr-Grip.
You’d be surprised at the amount of times I had to explain that it was not, in fact, an adult toy shop. But it was a vacuum lifting equipment manufacturer, so we still talked about good suction.
These weird names demarcate seasons of my life. I have grown to love them and the stories they provide. I hope the next chapter brings more.