Page 141 - USA BOOK FINAL PDF---08-09-2020web-1_Neat-final

A FIGURATIVE DISFIGURING -By Atiksh Chandra
8th Grade, Falcon Cove Middle School, Weston, FL 33332

When I was born thirteen years ago, my parents chose a name to help define my
identity.A name to associate with my well-being - “Atiksh.” A derivative of Sanskrit which
means wisdom and prosperity.

With a name of Indian descent, some individuals find my name perplexing to
pronounce. The name “Atiksh” is meant to have a “th” sound over the “t”, followed
by a slight emphasis over the “iksh” section of the name. To many individuals, this
compilation of sounds creates a feeling of confusion to the tongue. A waltz it tries to
accomplish, but fails to follow through. When one stresses in a place not its normal
routine, the waltz hops into a Bollywood dance routine, ultimately, losing the beat and
leaving the senses in utter confusion.

By the start of 1st Grade, I began to feel rather uncomfortable with my name and
allowed my peers to pronounce it in any way that was easier for them, but not proper in
any form. I let this go for a long time. As time progressed, my name had morphed into
“Atish,” ignoring the “k” and all its power.

As I continued to allow others to pronounce it as “Atish,” I began to experience a
revolution in my life. Not just in my mind, where the feeling of regret overwhelmed, but
also in the world around me. My classmates, friends, and even teachers were calling me
“Atish.” The feeling that I had caused this conundrum, took over my mind. I kept thinking
that this problem would not have occurred if I had been stronger in the first place. If only
I had been patient and devoted to helping individuals say it correctly. My parents had
given me this name with intention. An intention so that I could be proud of their choice.
With my anxiety only growing exponentially, a search of escape clenched my thoughts.
I needed to figure a way to protect my heritage and correct the wrong that had slipped
past my shadow.

By 5th Grade, my intentions were set on prevailing over this catastrophe, as I had been
dealing with this for several years. After calling consideration from my family, we devised
a method of helping individuals pronounce my name. By explaining the name as “A-thick-
sh” we hoped that people would be able to come closer to the exact pronunciation. Sadly,
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