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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Meet Buddy's Daughter.................

last names, Sweatman,

I suffered as a child - oh how I suffered!
How I longed for a normal last name like my Mother's family had - Egan - or Sheard.
Suzy Brady would have sounded so cute don't you think? So North American.
These were my friends last names
Mullin
Phillips
Martin
Thompson
Hallinan
Russell
Astles ( pronounced like Castles - except everyone made it sound like asshole so she hated her name too now that I think of it )

and then there was me
Suzan Sweatman................

I can remember being mortified when the teacher called out my name - absolutely mortified - and could feel
my cheeks going on fire as I mentally willed myself out of the classroom ( do you remember the days when you actually blushed, that slow creeping up of heat that instantly betrayed your outward look of not caring ? )
I would be thrilled when someone mispronounced it and called me Suzan Sweetman - sweet is so much sweeter than Sweat after all.
Who wants to be labelled with a nasty bodily function?
I might as well have been called Suzan Pissman - or worse Suzy Shitman - really, it was just as bad to me.

Once we were all in the auditorium - in grade school - and as a treat we were going to watch a movie -
for some reason I remember it as  Herbie - the Love Bug - but it may have been another - and as we sat
all enthralled with the movie - to my complete horror - one of the lines in the movie was ( after someone thanked someone for something ) Hey, it's no SWEAT, MAN!
The rest of the movie was a fuzzy hazy blur as I sat and fretted, bit my nails down to the quick and worried my way through it -
Was this a new expression?  I had never heard it before - was this something people were going to start saying daily?  How could I live with that?

I went home that afternoon and declared to my Mom - that from that day forward my name would be Suzy
Egan.
You can't just change your name like that, she smiled
Everyone already knows your name, she reasoned
How would you explain it to your friends, she asked
I'll change schools - I blurted out
Could we move? - I tearfully asked
One day - she assured me - you will be proud of your name
Never - I cried - I will never be proud of this name - I mournfully replied................as I flung myself across my bed ( I was such an actress - still am btw )

And then in the 70's there was a break out hit show called Welcome Back Kotter - where John Travolta got his start - and he was in a special needs class - where the students were called, horror of horrors,
SWEAT HOGS
Well that was just a hop, skip and a jump away from Sweatman, really - and became a nick name for awhile.
Some girls get Dee Dee - Candy - Mitzi - Gigi - no girls that I know of have ever had Sweathog thrown at them, other than me, that is.  To be fair none of my girlfriends called me that but once in awhile one of the guys from the gang would throw out a " hey Sweathog, what's happening? "  I think that's when I first learned
how to cut my eyes like a pro.
One of my grandmothers used to say with pride " she can cut her eyes like an Egan " ( Irish heritage - you have to have Irish Heritage to get that one )

Family members called me Suzy-q - one Aunt called me Suzan Van Heusen - some class mates called me
Suzanne - all my friends called me Suzan ( pronounced Susan by the way )  but to the outside world I was
Suzan SWEATMAN.

Different is horrible when you're young.

As I matured - my name took on a completely different meaning - I'm not sure when exactly it happened but I can definitely remember associating it with the wonderful man who gave it to me - who passed away far too young -  but I was given his name and what a terrible thing it would be, to be embarrassed by something as wonderful as being Buddy Sweatman's daughter.  I have a lot of him in me I'm told - I love people - I love helping - I love to laugh - I love to entertain - and I love words, all of these were his gifts to me, along with his name.
In fact - I can only feel a very deep - to the bottom of my soul - to the corners of my heart -  pride in my name now. You were right Mom. It's become my badge of honor.

And today I can laugh about it - when John and I were still in the dating stage we went to Paris together.
His name is John Wood - ( I know, I know, as normal a name as you can get - I think that may have been what attracted me to him most lol )  and all the French Mills would jokingly call him Jean Du Bois ( the literal translation ) which sounds so nice right? I kept introducing myself as
Suzanne L'homme de Perspiration ( the literal translation ) and everyone roared!  I have a sense of humour, if nothing else, perhaps it all started many many years ago.
With a name.


Do I have any followers from South Carolina btw?  I hear their ribs are pretty good!
LOL

My name is Suzan Sweatman -  and I approve this post.
( and since I'm smack in the middle of menopause - the name is oddly fitting now )


Sharing with
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53 comments:

  1. Hey now! I'm trying to be quiet, all the kids are asleep and I'm in here laughing and snorting at your post. Almost blew my coffee across the room. You crack me up! Starting my day on a happy note. The word sweat will forever make me think of you. Have a great day Suzan.
    ((Hugs))
    Sherry

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  2. Thanks for the morning laugh! You were a drama queen!! (But a mighty cute one with your cute little bows and maryjanes!!! Okay...my maiden name was JOLLY. Serioiusly. I'm not gonna listen to you whine about Sweatman. I even had a sister named Joy.

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    1. Hey everyone - don't you think Danni's parents should have called her HOLLY ?
      Have a Holly Jolly................
      LOL
      XXX

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  3. Too funny!

    Could be worse, Suzan, my daughter has a friend in university whose last name is Hurlbutt. Sooo unfortunate. Poor guy didn't tell anybody his last name for the first three months. Finally confronted, he just mumbled it at first. Of course, when he had no choice but to say it, the nicknames started. Vomit-sphincter comes to mind. Like I said, unfortunate, poor soul! I have a sneaky suspicion his future wife will keep her name...may even give it to their kids, lol!

    What a cute pic of you, so Shirley Temple like!

    Nicole
    xxx

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  4. Suzan, I too struggled through all the awkward school years with a controversial name: Ball. In elementary I was know as Basketball, soccerball, and Crystal Ball (by far the nicest). By jr. high, as we became aware of sexuality (however unschooled we were on the subject) the names became more risque. I would sign my name to the salad line at lunch (Cindy L. Ball) and someone would always pencil in "icks" after the L. In highschool it got better with only the occasional boy scratching my chin as they passed. I don't really want to explain that one. At least Cindy was better than my sister's BJ and brother's Harold (Harry), and no, I'm not making this up. Ha. I married right out of high school and didn't realize the how much my father's name meant to this country until 2 decades later. My great great (I don't recall how many greats) grandfather and his brothers were property neighbors to George Washington who called them "cousin" in his diary simply because his mother was also a Ball. I am (or could be if I applied to be) a daughter of both the American Revolution and the Civil War (albeit on the wrong side). I have a very rich family history to be proud of and I owe it firt to my father who named me Cindy Lou Ball. I embrace my sir name and hold it dear. Now about that "Lou" part.

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    1. Oh this is just too funny - Cindy licks.................lol
      And also too cute - since Cindy Lou Who - was my favorite character in Whoville
      Wow - what history your name has Cindy - amazing story - thanks SO much for sharing!!!
      AND your poor poor sister - lol
      ( Although I loved BJ Tomas - raindrops keep falling on my head - and don't recall making fun of his name - I suppose we did though - back in the day )
      Big hugs to you Cindy Lou Who..................

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    2. and thank God we weren't friends in H.S. - or they would have said - Oh here comes the Sweat - Balls LOL

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    3. Sweaty balls! hahahaha
      And I WAS named after the Whoville heroine. My father came home from Viet Nam a year before I was born and saw the first prime time viewing of that Christmas classic. When I came about that next December he said I looked just like her with my one little curl on top of my head. And, to give my mother some credit, it didn't hurt that her name is Cindy Sue.

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    4. OMG - that's is too cute Cindy Lou!
      " why Santy Claus, why? " :P
      at least they didn't call you Lucille ( or Lucy ) lol
      And I have to tell you it took me awile to figure out why your poor brother suffered being called Harry LOL
      XOX

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  5. Ah, Suzan. This is why we like you so much! What a fun post. And so glad you're finally reconciled to your last name...now that you're married to a Wood. lol Actually, it is a lovely tribute to your father as well. I went from the oh-so-common 'Nelson' to 'Masrud,' a name almost no one pronounces correctly. lol

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  6. Strange but true ... I dated a man named John Sweatman. I do believe he is related to the South Carolina and Texas Sweatman family. My maiden name is Oxenreider. I took it back after my divorce. What was I thinking?! I could have kept "Triolet" (my children use the French pronounciation - TREE O LAY) but in the south, that often comes out sounding a lot like "toilet". I am still looking for a nice man with a last name like Smith or Johnson...

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  7. So funny and cute. My lmaiden name is Camerer which in grade school was deciphered as "Camera" and so the constant "take a picture" ridicule. Really got old... But, I too am very proud of it now after my brother did research on our descendants - an impressive lot. I live in South Carolina and am not familiar with Sweatman Barbecue - guess I need to find them and check them out. But, in my defense - I've only lived here 20 months so am still discovering lots of things, lol... Have a great day, Suzan.....

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  8. Oh what a FUN STORY! Like my daughter when she was a kid...she just hated to be called Sofia-Esther and some knew about the Esther cause she was hubby's grandma..but she acted like she had Sheatman for a last name! LOL, you made me crack up Suzan Sweatman!! Did you not change it when you got married? Have a great week.
    FABBY

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  9. I always thought it was pronounced "Sweetman," whenever I saw your name. I think kids will find a way to make fun of any name. I'm proud of my maiden name because I loved my father so much and it represented him. I named my 3 children with my maiden name as their middle names, even though it's a strange name. It was to show respect for my father.

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  10. I went through life in a very small town with the name Kirby. NOTHING could have been worse, unless maybe being my brother, Ian. Now, both names are fairly common.

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  11. LOL- I snickered my way through this whole post. I had a maiden name that was an embarrassment, too-so I GET IT. You have yourself a great day there and don't sweat it! xo Diana

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  12. Good laugh of the day Suzan.
    Oh, what is it about our names that can make growing up so difficult. I was teased all the way through elementary and high school. My kids have always complained that I did not give them my last name since there father's name is very difficult to pronounce in French.

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  13. You so funny! Suzan,what's in a name anyway.A rose is a rose by any other name would it still smell so sweet?...Sweat is Sweat by any other name would it smell?...teehehehehe

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  14. My kids have friends with the surnames of Crapp and Pigg, I think they would be unfortunate, along with a girl I went to school with whose surname was Longbottom!
    So grateful I had Ford and now Langford for my last name.

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    1. Well Crapp and Pigg are pretty unfortunate lol
      and Longbottom is just awful for a little girl - Sweatman starting to sound not so bad afterall
      XOX

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  15. Yes I can relate. My maiden name is Lehman which we pronounced layman but got pronounced leeman lemon.. You know. LOL.I think no matter how bad we think ours are...it could be worse!

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  16. My last name wasn't so bad, but a LOT of comments were made..."Smiley". Now the name fit me quite well, I was very happy go lucky, always smiling, rather free spirited and happy. My middle name is "Joy" so that also got a LOT of laughs as people found that out as well...Joy Smiley. At least my parents didn't give me the first name they wanted to... I think I'll just leave ya hanging on that one!!! It's funny what's in a name and the horrifying nicknames mean spirited and immature kids can come up with!! I can only hope that some of them grew up and married into really BAD last names! Wherever your sense of humor came from, however it came to you, I am sure glad you got it, cuz you make me smile almost EVERYDAY... you're just helping me to remember my real name!
    Hugs,
    Pendra

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  17. :) Glad you came to be proud of it! I was a King - nothing terribly hateful about that I guess! I am now a Flory - there are tons of them around - King would have sounded more stately - maybe I should have kept it!

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  18. LMAO!!!!!! Suzan Pissman - or worse Suzy Shitman. OMG, STILL LAUGHING.

    Bliss (Piss with a B?)

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  19. Hi Suzan!!!!

    Isn't it funny how when we are older, we can sit and think about what was a huge deal when we were very young and laugh about it.

    I love to see this side of you!!! You are absolutely hilarious!!!

    Pam
    xox

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  20. Awesome, AWESOME post! Glad you told me about it. So funny--sorry, I shouldn't laugh because I am sure it was painful growing up--I have my own horror stories about that as well---my last name Kester was always pronounced "Keister" (as in the butt!) and I was often the "butt" of everyone's jokes Well at least we can laugh (and blog) about it now!

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  21. Nice to meet you, Suzan Sweatman. Love the cute picture of you as a little girl. I know all about being different as a child and it was hell, for sure. As adults, we should revel in our uniqueness. :-) Cheers!

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  22. Following from the Thursday Favorite Things hop at Katherine's Corner. When I was in the 5th grade, my family moved from Maryland to Utah. When I got registered at the nearby elementary school. They, of course, used my given name (Lucille) for their records, but asked if I wanted to go by that or my nickname (LuAnn). I told them "LuAnn" because "Lucille" sounded like one of the Baldwin sisters on the tv show The Waltons. For those for whom the show is unfamiliar, the Baldwin sisters were middle-aged spinsters who brewed "Papa's Recipe". Well, that's not how I saw myself at the time. *LOL*

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    1. LOL - I remember them well!
      Thanks so much for coming by.............
      Good night John Boy
      Good night LuAnn tee hee
      XOX

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  23. Oh I had the horrible last name in high school too... and it ended in 'berry' which made everyone think it was okay to rhyme it. Oh, how I hated that name. But now that I'm grown, it's not so bad... never mind, it is, but I love the people who gave it to me. :)

    Thank goodness my husband has a wonderful last name. The kids and I thank him, and his parents, and his grandparents... lol

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  24. Following from the Favorite Things blog hop. I had a wonderful maiden name, Wright.I took it for granted though. I am now an Ebner, crazy German last name. My husband's first name is Hugh, so if pronounced quickly it sounds like Hugh Heffner. I have heard it all. This silly last name does not seem to bother my kids. My daddy used to joke you were all Wright until you got married(haha) cheermamadrama.blogspot.com

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    1. Hi Chrishelle -
      Hugh Heffner - too funny lol
      Love your Dad's joke -
      XXX

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  25. you crack me up. what a great post! Smooches and thank you for sharing at the hop!

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  26. I don't know which I adored the most, the post or the darling picture of you as a child. Hey, I feel what you are saying, but so happy that you have come to be proud to be a 'Sweatman'. I never minded my last name, but it certainly was different. I went from Chorniak to Olson. Can't get much more common than that. My dad died when I was only 9 months old. Mom remarried, he was a wonderful man and never felt like a step dad. But mom never had us give up our dad's name. She always said, "How can you choose between two wonderful men?". Thanks for sharing with Share Your Cup.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  27. You have a wonderful blog & I totally enjoyed this post!! I'm your newest GFC follower from the “Get Social Sunday” blog hop - this is my blog if you wanted to follow back: godsgrowinggarden.com
    Thanks
    Angie

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  28. Great post. What's in a name, a Rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Names can be so important and play a huge role in how we feel about ourselves at any age. I remember when I married the first time, I didn't want to take his last name. First off, I never liked it, but secondly, it wasn't Italian. But back then, it was the "proper" thing to do. Well, the day I left him, I went back to MY beautiful, Italian last name! Proudly. I've since remarried, to a wonderful man and... he has an Italian last name! LOL I've hyphenated my name so now I have TWO Italian last names. It's who I am and I have such fond and treasured memories of my Italian/American heritage, traditions, family, and values. To not have an Italian last name bothered me. I identify with my name and want it to be instantly recognizable as Italian! :)

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    1. Thanks so much!
      Here in Montreal you can't change your last name ( even through marriage ) you can only use it socially.
      Happy you found another Italian name lol ( was that the criteria LOL ?)
      Big hugs,

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    2. I wrote a post below, just wanted to tell you, I visited Montreal, about 30 years ago, with my ex hubby who was my then boyfriend. I loved it. I'd love to visit again. I hope you check out my blog post which was inspired by your post here! What an interesting piece of information; you can't change your last name in Montreal. Wow, boy, you learn something new every day!

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  29. Hi Suzan ... loved your post and a darling picture of you.
    I was just one of the Smith girls ... so no problem with that name.
    Blessings,
    Audrey Z.
    Timeless Treasures.

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  30. Your post inspired me and I wrote a post myself. http://inlovingmemoryofgrandmamillie.blogspot.com/2013/01/whats-in-name.html

    As for the criteria for marriage, no, an Italian last name was not my main focus, however, I did want someone who had a lot in common with me and my ways. Italian seemed to be the way to go. The day I met my hubby it was as if we knew one another for years and our families get along great. We have all the same ideas, traditions, thoughts, and experiences. We understand one another. We agree on things. The last name was a bonus. I always said I would never change my name again or get married again. Well I changed my mind and married and I chose to hyphenate, so I still have my name and just added his!

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  31. LOL! Very comical even though I know growing up with Sweatman was tough. I was a Johnson!

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  32. Love this!!! My daughter always made fun of the name "Whitehead"...of course you can guess her now married name...could be worse...Blackhead!

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  33. Oh my! I MUST comment. I, too, am a Buddy's Daughter and my last name? Guffey - yep, goofy was said more often than not. His first name was Alvis - I think that's why he went by Buddy. I do enjoy your page very much and I can't wait to see how you made that coffee table you just posted today look so darn cool!

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    1. Hey Goofy LOL - so nice to meet another B.D.!!!
      Have a wonderful weekend!
      Hugs,
      The Sweathog....................

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  34. I loved the Sweathogs and lets face it, kids take any name and play with it. My maiden name was Bates so they would ask if my dad was Master Bates. And with Cook, my son was called "Kook".

    I will no longer think of you of Suzan Sweetman, but as "sweet Susan Sweatman".

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  35. Coming over from the blog hop to say Hi and have a look around. . . . just Had to comment on this post. My maiden name was Call. Now don't you like Sweatman even better??? lol!

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    1. I was going to say I prefer Call - but I guess you were a Call Girl right LMHO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      xoxoxoxo

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  36. Susan, this post is awesome! I had a good laugh :) My maiden name was nothing special...until we got a new male PE teacher with the same last name, and that's when the torture started...I love your blog and I'm happy to follow back :)

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  37. Love your humor Suzan, had me giggling away, then I got to the readers comments... And was rolling on the Floor!! Great post,thanks for sharing it over at Junk chic and reviving this great read

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    1. I know Brenda LMHO - some of the comments are hilarious - absolutely HILARIOUS !!!!
      Thanks so much for coming by !!!
      My name is Suzan Sweatman............................lol
      xxx

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  38. How did I miss this post? My maiden name was Lemmon, pronounced like the fruit. From the time I can remember I had jokes about fruit, or duds or being a lesbian (apparently that was a term used in the 80's) after marrying for the first time to a ridiculously normal name but a horrid man I found I couldn't wait to be a Lemmon again. Then when I married jules whose surname is Lea-Wood I asked if we could add another hyphen and be Lemmon-Lea-Woods, and buy a citrus orchard....sadly he wouldn't go for it LOL

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Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
Can I beat these spammers at their own game? Probably not - but I'm going
to try my damnedest !!!
xoxo