NicknamesNicknames
"Narberth used to be famous for nicknames. Heck, used to be you never knew what a guy's real name was. And I'm not talking about what passes for nicknames nowadays, you know, Buddy or Skip or Rocky. No, I'm talking about real nicknames.
Like three guys I remember who hung out at the gas station when Joe Maguire owned it back in the '30s. Now their momma's named all three of them George when they were born, but you couldn't grow up safely in Narberth being called George, so all three of 'em had nicknames. Spike, Jiggs, and Grease. Spike, Jiggs, and Grease!
Nicknames like that you could sink your teeth into. Nicknames like that earned you respect.
Of course, men are supposed to act different these days, and the old nicknames don't exactly fit with bein' sensitive or vulnerable, now do they. But, look, don't get me started on that."
July 31, 1995