Read Reid Rede REED

My name is Reed and it’s been hard over the years to adjust to having a name that sounds exactly like reading a book. But let’s go back to before I was born. My parents probably chose the worst name out of the three finalists. Before I was born my parents didn’t know if I was a boy or a girl so they chose they narrowed it down to three choices for each gender. The girl names were Jillian, Reese and Reed and the boy choices were Jackson and two others that I don't remember.

When I was born they still hadn’t chosen a name because my mom did even see me for nearly a whole day. It’s a funny story but I was almost switched at birth. My mom got very sick from the medicine they gave her during labor, so she didn’t get a chance to see what I looked like. When I was born I looked nothing like my parents (obviously since newborns look like raisins). But most of the time newborns have the same skin tone or something similar to their parents.

I on the other hand looked white (I am African American). Since I had such light skin, the nurses were planning on taking me to a different family. As the nurses were on their way to take me to the wrong family my aunt who worked in the hospital asked why they were taking a boy into my mom’s room. She explained that my mom had a girl and that if they would have taken the time to READ the birth certificate they would have gotten it correct. They eventually brought me back to the perfect family.

Once my mom was well enough to see me, my aunt told her and my father how the nurse didn't read the birth certificate. From there my parents knew Reed was the perfect name for me. Sadly, it took me a little bit longer to realize that for myself. When I was younger I hated my name. From the little brats making fun of my name to the astonished looks of parents when they heard my name. People used to ask why my parents named me Reed and my response was always because they hated me. But over time I learned to love and accept my name because like my limbs and organs it’s an essential part of me.