Formality is a priority. You’ll never see me talking while chewing my food. You’ll never see me fixing my tie. It’s already perfect. My name is like the Grand Canyon. The vivid orange hues. The menacing cliffsides; they flood the eyes of its guests. Millions want a picture with it. Millions want a picture with me. Bow down to me first. Show me respect. My name is Daniel.

I can assure you that we are often misunderstood. As a Daniel myself, I do not think the previous ideas represent my personality or who I want to be. Some of us do not wish to act like your typical athlete on championship night or the CEO of a multi-million dollar company during a meeting. Instead, we want to joke around. We want to try new foods. We want to enjoy adventurous lives. We do not want to feel like we are forced to live a life of formality and perfection.

At times, being called Daniel is like getting your hair tugged by your little brother. Or your neighbor asking you for money you know you will never get back. Annoying. Not only because it feels like it takes too long to say, but people often mispronounce Daniel with names like Danielle or Daniella. A Daniel of the past must have been bothered by the name and created a relaxed, condensed version of it. Dan.

Dan is a new marble with no imperfections. Smoother than a sandy white beach. You cannot resist it. Dan is a combination of green and blue. Some call it turquoise. It is not turquoise when associated with Dan. This color has a deeper meaning that must be kept a secret.

The name Dan can also be confused with words like can, tan, and ran. Annoying once again–yes, but it is an honor. It means your name is so likeable to the point where other words want to sound like it. This does not always make it a positive connection to have. Isn’t that right Luke? You have words like fluke, nuke and puke trying to be like you. As for Dan, I have man. I’m Dan the Man. Take that, Luke the Puke.

Comparing Daniel vs. Dan is unfair. They are different in many ways. Daniel has a luxury Audi or Lexus. Meanwhile, Dan has a convertible. Or maybe a red jeep with no doors on it. Daniel is the man with every individual hair on his head cut with such precision, whereas Dan has long, curly hair and does not care which way it flies. It’s just hair, right?

Nonetheless, having Daniel and Dan as names feels like an honor. There is no feeling better than getting your name called after winning an achievement. Hearing your parents say your name and tell you how proud they are. Hearing the girl you like calling your name out loud. My name has left footprints in the ground for others to see. They can explore my journey by following them. It would be foolish to want to change my name after I have written it thousands of times during my childhood. There is no other name I would want to write down a thousand times more.