If I was a boy then my name would be Andrew - Drew for short. I'm good with Andrew, but Drew? I'm not particularly a fan. I prefer Andy. But I'm not a boy, thankfully. My name is Bridget, a very Irish name meaning "strength." I like my first name, I think it fits who I am - at least, I like to thikn that I am a strong woman most days. The real treasure is my middle name: Furey. As in "hell hath no fury" - at least that's how it's pronounced. Furey doesn't mean anger - actually, I'm not sure what it means. I am named after my great-great-grandmother Bridget Furey Monaghan.
I haven't always liked my middle name. In grade school, when I told my friends, I was ridiculed & called "Furry." They made me feel like their pet rabbit.
In high school I gained not popularity but recognition as "BridgetFurey." Everyone seemed to love my name & soon shortened it to just Furey. I took the new & awesome nickname to college with me. For two years I was Bridget to my teachers & new people, but my identity had become Furey.
One of my good friends who loved my middle name would announce "It's not a hurricane - it's the Furey!" whenever I walked into a room.
When I was introduced to someone new, my friends would introduce me as Furey - just for the reaction of this new person - & it was up to me to explain & clarify my full name.
Furey is certainly a great conversation starter - "Hey, you'll never guess my middle name!" - & it's given me mystery, made me interesting. What I'm saying is that, now, I appreciate my name. I like my name! Come on, Bridget Furey Kelly? How much more Irish could I be?!
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