Oh, dear readers, gather round as I spin you a yarn plucked straight from the tangled, often bizarre world of Reddit. This one’s a doozy, peppered with old-timey names, family feuds, and one very brave set of parents who dared to name their child… Callum. Yes, you read that right. Now, before I dive into this hullabaloo, let me remind you, this is a real story from a real person, shared in the wild, wacky world of Reddit, where the question of ‘AITA?’ often brings out the best, the worst, and the downright hilarious in human interaction. But fear not, for your guide Roger is here to whisk you through this tale with all the sass and wit you’ve come to expect. So grab your popcorn, folks, because you’re going to want to stick around for this one. Trust me: Rogers Hot Take at the end is the cherry on top of this soap-opera-worthy sundae.
Our protagonist, a 26-year-old new dad, and his wife, a 25-year-old warrior woman fresh in the postpartum glow, welcomed their son Callum into the world, much to the chagrin of their old-name-loving family. Names like Reginald, Harold, and Bartholomew were passed over for something a bit more… shall we say, this century? But alas, this deviation from family tradition sparked more than just a raised eyebrow. It ignited a full-blown familial feud, ripe with drama, unsolicited opinions, and an unholy number of phone calls and house visits. Honestly, it’s like something straight out of a Shakespeare comedy, if Shakespeare had been a modern-day Redditor, that is.
Our hero, previously known as Herbert (yes, you read that correctly), had once upon a time liberated himself from the chains of an old-timey name in a bold move to rebrand as Jamie. One would think this act of rebellion might have prepared his family for Callum’s arrival. Yet, here we are. The family’s cries of ‘Callum ages terribly!’ and ‘Think of the nieces and nephews!’ fell on deaf ears, as Jamie and his wife stood their ground, forging ahead with the name they loved. A name, mind you, perfectly respectable and more importantly, chosen with love.
As tensions reached a boiling point, our weary parents found themselves defending their choice yet again, leading to a showdown worthy of a telenovela. ‘Shut up and get over yourselves,’ Jamie declared, defending his fortress from the relentless siege of antique-naming aficionados. Was it harsh? Perhaps. Necessary? Absolutely.
Ah, dear readers, here we find ourselves at the crossroads of civility and standing one’s ground. On one hand, diplomacy is often the best policy. On the other, sometimes a situation calls for a bit of good old-fashioned bluntness. And so, without further ado, here comes Roger’s Hot Take: Jamie, you are not the asshole. Naming your child is a deeply personal decision, one not to be swayed by the whims of those stuck in the past, no matter how well-intentioned they might be.
In a world where we battle over everything from politics to pineapple on pizza, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a couple stand united against the tide of traditionalism. Callum, a name chosen with love, will undoubtedly grow to embody the strength and conviction of his parents.
Families, take note: Love is demonstrated not through names passed down like heirloom silver, but through acceptance, support, and the celebration of the new branches we add to our ever-growing trees. May this tale be a lesson to all: In the great debate over what we name our kin, let love, not tradition, be your guiding light.
Until next time, this has been Roger, dishing out the hot takes you didn’t know you needed but now can’t live without. Keep questioning, keep loving, and for heaven’s sake, keep naming your kids whatever the heck you want. Cheers!
Original story
My wife (25f) and I (26m) welcomed our son Callum into the world just over a week ago. I had expected our son’s name wouldn’t be a favorite among my family but I had believed and hoped they would just love us enough to accept that the name isn’t one of the more vintage/old timey names my family loves. But they expressed their dislike for the name immediately and were asked to leave by me because my wife was in recovery and didn’t need to deal with their bullshit. They called me up the next day and asked why we had gone so different from the rest of the family. I told them we went with a name we both loved and felt would work for our son his entire life.
My family told me Callum is not the kind of name a person should wear into adulthood. That it ages terribly because it sounds like a little boys name. I told them Callum is a well established and long used name, just not in the way they like for names to be. They told me Callum does not compare to the names my nieces and nephews have or that my siblings have, I used to have another name and changed it at 18.
So before I get too carried away I should say that the types of names my family like are; Reginald, Harold, Desmond, Bartholomew, Maximilian, Clarence and my old name Herbert. Girls names are the same old school style. My family loves that. I’m good with that. I wasn’t good with my old name and changed it and I didn’t want a name for my son that “fit” with them.
I told my family as they were complaining to me that we had decided and the name was not changing so they should adjust to it. They were quiet for a day and then they got back in touch to say they could not bring themselves to accept this and that I should really consider why they love the names they do. They said I damned myself when I changed my name, which is now Jamie, but I shouldn’t do that to my son. When I didn’t budge they declared they would talk to my wife. I told them no way in hell are they bothering my wife with their crap when she’s newly PP. We got into a fight and I told them to stop calling if they couldn’t let it go.
They showed up yesterday to see our son again and I wasn’t going to let them inside but my wife, who knows what’s been going on, thought maybe seeing Cal again would calm them down. It didn’t. They started on the name shit again and they did attempt to go through my wife which is when I may have stepped over the line. I told them to shut up and get over themselves about the name because my wife and I love it and we’re not changing it for them and they need to accept I never wanted my son or any kids I’d have to have names they like. I told them they knew that from the time I went to the effort and cost to change my own name. And I told them they had gone too far trying to pester my wife after being warned not to.
They said I didn’t need to be so rude to get my point across and I believe I did. But I’m also doubting if I went too far.
AITA?