Eric. Eric is short and sweet. It takes the art of naming down to its base. Eternal ruler, according to the Norse. A viking conqueror, Eric the Red. A famous guitarist, Eric Clapton. A comedian, Eric Andre. A myriad of colors and stories across many lifetimes, melding together to form a blank canvas for each new Eric to paint. The challenge lies in how one chooses to paint it.

And I have been presented with that challenge. My parents never told me why. All they ever said was they liked Eric. If they were having a boy that is. Now here I am, Eric number who knows how many. There are so many different kinds too. Erik, Erick, Eric. I think I even saw an Airwreck once.

It would be nice to meet all these Ericks/Erics/Eriks. Talk to them and make a generic Eric. All the other names have it so why shouldn’t we? Right now, since there is no generic Eric, we’re working with a blank canvas here.  That is both blessing and curse. Blessing because that means we can be whatever we want. Curse because that also means we must choose who to be, and that is always a hard one to make.

Air-ick. My syllables. Begins floating in air, then plummets to the mud, ick. Now, I can’t speak for the other Eriks/Ericks/Erics, but that makes sense for me. I’m light and fun like air or a total stick in the mud. I Can also go anywhere in between.

With that much range, Eric/Erick/Erik is the color white. A rainbow of colors that mix into white. White can be used for anything. Erick/Erik/Eric can be used as a name for any person too. Since there isn’t a generic one of us.

Whenever I hear my name from a classmate, I cringe. It sounds so business-like. So formal. Kinda lame. I can’t blame them really. It’s hard to make Eric dance on the tongue. Hard to make me dance anywhere else too. Eric just falls out of the mouth, like a wad of gum does sometimes when you’re talking. Splat, Eric. Splat, gum.

But it’s weird. I can’t think of another name I’d rather be called than Eric. Maximus would be epic I guess. It would satisfy the awesome-factor that Eric the Red brings to the table. But if I was Maximus, then I wouldn’t be an Eric and so Eric the Red would no longer be at my table. Maximus does get me Russell Crowe’s character in Gladiator though. But if I choose Maximus, the canvas disappears. Maximus already has a predetermined stereotype-the action hero type guy, and so I wouldn’t be free to choose like I am with the name Eric.