Sweet Laura?!? What kind of moniker is that?!?

It's more of an adjective than a nickname right? Although, i'm sure that many would say that there's nothing sweet about me. That brings a smile to my lips. At the laughable opposite I can be to my beloved nickname. I think there are quite a few, men mostly, who would indeed question my posession of a soul and/or heart, let alone my rights to carry the name of Sweet.
Despite them, the ones who know me best of all, that is to know the purely happy and eternally positive side of my Gemini-ness, have perpetuated the name of Sweet Laura. and i love it.

It all began last summer. Stephanie was newly in love and as such she was floating on the "everything is wonderful, life is beautiful" cloud that we all get to experience once in our lives if we are lucky. That factor, coupled with our shared tendency to be loud and break into song mid-sentence (lending weight to musicals as slightly more realistic than everyone thought), led her to sing my name upon my entrance into her workplace, her apartment, or anywhere that i came upon her.

"SwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeT Laaauuuuuuuraaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Music to my ears. And the ears of anyone who happened to be standing around the gas station where she worked.

As she and Jerry became closer and they learned more about each other, he came to know me through her as Sweet Laura. In turn, he came to call me that as well. Ever since then, when I am introduced to anyone through them or spoken of, this is how i am refered to. So, now that i have met much of Jerry's family in Texas this past New Years and again last weekend, I am known to them as Sweet Laura. In Texas the children are taught to address grown ups as sir/ma'am etc. So all the kids call me Miss Sweet Laura. And Ashley calls me Auntie Sweet Laura. I LOVE it. Who wouldn't? Miss Sweet Laura is a title I will take anyday and enjoy everytime that i hear it.
I'm not sure if this is even interesting to anyone reading this, but...meh.

OF course! I am no less excited to hear my other nicknames. I would be saddened to hear Randi or Joelene refer to me as Laura instead of Elsie. And i will always see myself as Elsie to Joelene, Darb, Randi and my most wondrous friends in that crowd. Elsie is a nickname that I will always love because it remminds me of those certain special people and our times. Especially since those to whom I am Elsie were my unswervingly supportive and loyal companions at a time when I was so lost that i could not see into my own future.

Then, as a was just yesterday reminded by Wes, there is the "Hot Laura" phase. I'm sure that Wes is the only one who would still call me that (at least in reference to it's original debut). Good old Alana, always could be counted on to make people say things that were somewhat awkward, but usually true. Like when she forced her boyfriend to admit that he thought I was hot. And then forever afterward she insisted or refering to me as Hot Laura and would push others to. Who wouldn't like that? Only, this is not the kind of nickname that one can usually tell to others since it carries with it a heavy load of assumption and condemnation from others. It served me well in highschool though. Especially during the summer where i had a brief fling with Handsome Nick from the Safari. Handsome Nick and Hot Laura. What a pair.

And now that I am known to the Steph and Jerry crowd as Sweet Laura, I have also been introduced as such to many of Jerry's soldier friends. One in particular with whom I am quite taken is called Rex by all the guys. When we met him back in March Steph and I immediately began calling him Sexy Rexy, because you must when someone is called Rex. Especially if you've ever watched Empire Records. So now we have the matching of Sweet Laura and Sexy Rexy. How crazy. I'm just glad that i didn't fall for Slimey Skimey. He's funny and all, but who wants a boyfriend named Slimey Skimey? Not this girl.