Over the marriage years, husbands and wives just naturally accumulate pet names for each other that evoke emotions when heard. I have many names for Ann, my wife, that have started innocently one year and became accepted vocabulary in our house the next year. Ann and I have been married for 24 years, so I have built up a long list of pseudo names for my wife and vice versa. The fun begins when I forget where I am and I utter one of these nicknames in public. Several years ago, I was speaking before an association audience and my wife was in the audience. During the question and answer session, an audience member asked me to introduce my wife (innocent enough).

When I asked Ann to stand to introduce her, my mind went blank… I could not remember her given name because I always address her by a loving nickname that was not appropriate to say in public. The pause in my wife’s introduction was obvious and embarrassing to the two of us. Now, I quietly recite Ann’s given name several times before appearing in public to avoid this mishap again. Mike McCann