Tucker Walker

Hi! My name is Tucker Walker, and I am a girl with a boy name. This has created an oddly surprising amount of awkward struggles in my life. In the second grade I moved from Richmond, VA to Charlotte, NC. Shortly after my second grade class list came out, my mom got an email inviting me to a boy’s birthday party. Nervously, I jumped in the car ready to make some new friends at my new school. However, when I arrived, I walked into a party completely full of boys. I had been invited to an all boys birthday party, and as a 7 year old girl in a smock dress, I was terrified. Since then, I have had many troubles with my name, but i wouldn't change my name for the world. Let’s address the elephant in the room. Nobody goes by their middle name unless they 1.) have the same name as their mom/dad and need to avoid confusion in the household or 2.) have a slightly embarrassing first name. I fall under the ladder category. My real name is Elsie, which I know isn’t too bad, but it sounds a little geriatric. In fact, the only other Elsie’s I’ve ever met that are not related to me have all been well over 50 years old. Though my real name is slightly outdated, I love it. On my mom’s side of the family they decided to pass down a woman’s name throughout generations instead of a man’s, which I personally think is pretty cool. I am the fifth Elsie Tucker in my family, and I am extremely proud to get to carry on my family name. Also, no one in my family, except my mom, goes by their true full name. My dad is Richard, but goes by Rich, my oldest sister is Margaret, but goes by Mimi and my middle sister is Hannah Elizabeth but goes by Lizzie. My name may cause some confusion in my life, but it connects me to my family in more ways than one, and for this I am extremely thankful.