My name is Caroline. Pronounced Ka-ra-line. Most people don't have any problems with the first two syllables, but the last one trips them up. They call me Carolyn. My boss calls me Carolyn and so did my 12th grade psychology teacher. At my college convocation, the speaker announced my name as "Carolyn Tung" even after I had explicitly written on a piece of paper: "Pronounced Caroline. NOT Carolyn."
I thought I hit a breakthrough last Wednesday when my boss introduced me to the museum's new Guggenheim fellow.
"This is Carolyn, my assistant," my boss told the new fellow. I grimaced, but I didn't correct him because I've worked here for nine months and I don't have the heart to do so.
Later that day, I told the new fellow that my name is indeed Caroline and not Carolyn.
"Oh, OK," he said. "No problem."
And what does he say to me this morning?
"Hey Carolina!"
ARGH!
Is it really so hard?
