Pssst… I have a secret.
Want to know what it is??
My middle initial … it isn’t a B… it’s an F.
So where on Earth does the B in Jennie B come from? Well I’m going to tell you. This question has been coming up more often lately as I changed my personal twitter name account and from a few others who have noticed when signing my signature. Here is the low down on my name for ya…
My full name is: Jennifer Frances
My familiar name is: Jennie
My nickname ever since I was knee high: Jennie Boo
That’s right, just call me Jennie Boo & you’ll officially be a part of the masses. Believe me – when I say masses, I do indeed mean masses. Family, friends, friends of family, family of friends, teachers, coaches, strangers, cops, doctors, lawyers, you name it. Jennie Boo, Jenn Boo, Boo Boo, J Boo, JB …. it’s all me.
Pause for a quote: “What, you want me to name someone? You want like a name? Oh, God, the pressure of a name…” – Kit, Pretty Woman (you can fill in the rest of her quote)
So why do I keep a silly nick-name as part of my signature name? Because it’s a big part of me, of who I am. I love the name Frances, but I’ve always been Jennie Boo to all who have loved and cared for me (and to a few stragglers here and there). And to be honest, no matter how hard I could ever possibly try, Jennie Boo ain’t going anywhere for a long long time. *Bet my Sista Sista Jessica and Big Brother Jim had no idea it was going to stick like it did when they began the sensation all those years ago.
But it wasn’t until I moved out to Charleston after college that I realized maybe Jennie Boo didn’t exactly sound the most grown up or professional of all nick-names – a realization you quickly come to when nobody knows you to begin with. This may sound silly to some of you, but to me I was at a mini-crossroads. I was changing as a person but didn’t want to lose the identity I had grown to love. (Plus when you hit 22 & beyond, there’s just something about a stranger calling you Jennie Boo that doesn’t sit well anymore.) So what’s a girl to do?
I decided on a compromise with my beloved nick-name, the woman I was becoming and the direction I saw myself going. A combination of past, present and future, Jennie B.
(Of course everyone who originally called me Jennie Boo still does and more are added to the list by the day, but for generality’s sake, it’s Jennie B to the non-familiar masses.)
Now you know the truth and the whole truth ….. about my name. ;) I hope you always keep in mind though, that no matter how old you get, it always helps to remember the little girl you once were. And if you want the best of both worlds, just do what Tim Gunn says and Make it work!
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