In Irish my name means “little fire”. In English my name means little to nothing. No color. No trait. Void to indifference, like most of the alphabet and its carnations.

When I was little I thought first names were unique and something to be prideful about. Highschool came and I was humbled beyond belief.. Going from a singular Aidan for nine years to then going to thirty-some different Aidan’s with different spellings. It all shattered my view of individuality amongst names.

Despite the fifty-giga-trillion different ways to spell Aidan, they all come off the tongue the same way. The vibration of the “n” within your teeth stays the same throughout all pronunciations. The “A” still makes the ball in the back of your throat rattle back and forth.

But Even though names have all lost their individuality, it doesn't change my pride. Aidan may be a common name amongst my peers, but it's MY name. No-one can take away MY meaning of name to me. Aidan, to me, represents my story. The story of someone who has truly lived within their own life. 

All of the trials and tribulations that I have experienced didn’t mold me into Aidan, but Aidan into me. Going through life with everyone around me expecting the world of me and the performance anxiety that came with. Every thought and feeling that I have had represents Aidan. 

Aidan is my name and mine alone.