Freudian Slips: What is in a Name

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Location: Irony, New Jersey, United States

Life takes us many places. It's a box of chocolates and a Hansel and Gretal trail of candy wrappers. I have filmed as an actor in The Happening, Invincible, The Lovely Bones, The Bounty Hunter, The Greek American, Bazookas, Limitless, TV's Its Always Sunny in Philly, Outlaw, New York, The Warrior, The Nail, Game Change, Cold Case, & commercial work includes The Philadelphia Eagles, Septa, Coors, Turbo Tax & Carnival Cruises. Freudian Slips spotlights irony in short story format.

June 16, 2008

What is in a Name

By the last day of elementary school, she had been teased so many times by her classmates that if she could accurately count there was cruelty embedded from the first to the last tally. The mildly mentally retarded girl said very little during school hours and her classmates liked it that way. She was timid, unsophisticated, and scholastically challenged. She attracted no friends and her loneliness undoubtably contributed to devaluing herself as a human being. I knew that there was something wrong with her but I did not know what. It was before I had an understanding of what developmental disability truly meant.
On the last day of school, she seized the attention of the class after her teacher called her name. It was an oridinary thing, the teacher calling her name and her not answering. So nobody expected a response from her. In a stern manner unbecoming of her docile nature, she voiced objection.
"My name is not Lorella. I do not care if it is the last day of school, you have been calling me Lorella all year. I forget to cross my t's, my name is Loretta."
Under these strange circumstances is how the class learned her name. One of the first things I learned about disability came by Loretta, hear her roar. I think of Loretta about this time every year as local school's begin to pile out in favor of summer vacation. Funny, what you can learn in a name.

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7 Comments:

Blogger Weary Hag said...

You know Joe, there's another way to look at this. Perhaps, had the teacher suggested that she stop trying to remember to cross her ts and just start crossing all ls except the first one instead.

Cute story.

9:49 PM  
Blogger Joe Tornatore said...

weary,
Right you are...again.

10:12 PM  
Blogger mommanator said...

now what a mistake the teach made all year not to properly say her name or even speak it!

12:55 PM  
Blogger Joe Tornatore said...

mommanator,
makes you wonder.

6:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hot For Teacher?

I think this was a bad teacher and kind of messed up on her part not to know or get the kids name right. Also if she never stopped the kids from picking on her, that's just wrong. Actually, I hate this teacher and think she sucks. Joe, if you were there, why didn't you help out? I always thought you were a good kid. Also I didn't know you taught or helped out in the classrooms like that, cool. Maybe you can get me a job there.

David Lee Roth

3:45 AM  
Blogger Joe Tornatore said...

david,
this was many years ago when i was a high school student.

8:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, ok, thanks for the info. I guess that's what made you become a social worker then, to make a difference. Respect on that and rock on my friend!

David Lee Roth

6:21 AM  

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