My Name is Anthony

First let me explain the title to this post, when I was born my parents named me Anthony. Sometime during my formative years I decided it would be cool, as lot of other Anthonys before me have done to go by Tony. Now my family always called me Anthony and that never changed. When my parents passed away in 2001 I made a decision to go back to my full name and over a period of months I asked each of my friends to call me Anthony. I knew it would be adjustment for both them and myself as I had to resist the temptation to say ok when they called me “Tony”.

So you ask, “Anthony why the change?” Good question, the reason I asked (and in some cases after a gentle reminder continue to ask) my friends to use my proper name is to honor my parents and respect the fact that this was the name they choose for me. Not some contraction of the name or some nickname but the name they used for 36 years. What better way to honor their memory.

So my friends when you see me, call me or even curse me please use Anthony.