"Help! I’m Drowning in ‘J’ Names!”

Why I’m Turning Into a “J” Name Expert at the Gym…

So, here’s the thing: I’ve been struggling with names lately, and it’s getting ridiculous. Every time I hit the gym in Spain, I feel like I’m playing a real-life version of "Guess Who?" But instead of quirky cartoon faces, it’s just a group of people wearing blue, white, or black Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi’s with names I can’t remember! Seriously, if I had a euro for every time I asked, “What’s your name again?” I could probably afford a gym membership just for the “J” guys!

Now, let me tell you about the guys at the gym. It’s like a convention for men with names that start with “J.” No joke, there are like eight Jesuses, five Juans, and a whole brigade of Javis. If I just start shouting random “J” names, I’m halfway there! “Hey, Jesús… no, wait, Jorge!” It’s like trying to name the Avengers but all I’ve got is “J” instead of “Captain America.”

According to the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, about 15-20% of men in Madrid have names that begin with “J.” So basically, one out of every five guys I meet is likely to be named José, Juan, Javier, Jesús, Joaquín, or a barrage of other “J” names. At this point, I’m convinced I’ve joined a secret society of “J” name enthusiasts!

Now, I know I’m not alone in this name struggle. How many times have you met someone and instantly forgotten their name, only to realize you’ve been calling them “Dude” for the past hour? So let’s share our laughable name blunders! Drop your funniest name-remembering stories in the comments. Let’s see if we can create our own “Name Hall of Fame” – or maybe just a “Name Hall of Shame”!

I’ll go first. When Bethany and I were youth pastors in Miami, Florida there was a lady whom I thought was named Rosie. After a year of calling her Rosie every Sunday and Wednesday, she finally asked, “Pastor Adam, why do you keep calling me Rosie? My name is Linda.” I felt so bad. Don’t even ask me how many weeks it took for me to remember Bethany’s name after we first met.

Let us know your funny or maybe not so funny name story in the comments below.

Image from Adobe Stock: 300962393