Support Group for People with Unfortunate Names
(A dimly lit community centre. A circle of mismatched chairs. A sign on the wall reads: "Welcome to U.N.F.O.R.T.U.N.A.T.E. (Unwitting Name Failures Overcoming Ridicule Through Understanding, Negotiation, Acceptance, Therapy, and Empathy).” The group leader, Paige Turner, claps her hands together to begin the meeting.)
Paige Turner: Alright, everyone, let’s get started. Welcome, old friends and new victims—I mean, members. As always, this is a safe space to share your experiences of living with an unfortunate name. Who’d like to begin?
Bill Posters: (sighs) I’ll go first. Another week, another pile of signs that say "BILL POSTERS WILL BE PROSECUTED." I tried to tell the council it’s a form of discrimination, but they said, “Bill, it’s just an expression.”
Justin Case: You should sue them. Have you met Sue Yu?
Sue Yu: Present. And no, I will not be taking on any more name-related legal battles. The last one against Starbucks over constantly writing "Soon You" on my cup nearly broke me.
Doug Graves: Broke you? Try being a funeral director named Doug Graves. No one trusts me to be respectful. I tell them I provide dignified services, and they just laugh in my face.
Anita Mann: That’s rough. I tried applying for a job as a life coach, but every interview went south when they asked, “What do you need?” And I answered, “Anita Mann.”
Robin Banks: Try having my name and going anywhere near a financial institution. I was just trying to open a savings account last week, and the teller pressed a silent alarm.
Crystal Clear: At least you don’t work in customer service. Every time I explain a policy, some idiot says, “Well, that’s Crystal Clear!” and laughs like it’s the first time I’ve heard it.
Rusty Carr: You think that’s bad? My used car business is failing because people assume I sell heaps of scrap metal. Every time I answer the phone, customers ask, “How rusty are they?”
Barb Dwyer: And don’t get me started on hair salons. I once booked a trim, and the stylist spent the whole session giggling, saying, “I better not use the clippers, Barb Dwyer!”
Lois Price: Try being named Lois Price when you work in retail. My boss thinks it’s funny to introduce me as "the lowest price in town." The customers expect discounts on principle.
Al Dente: My whole life, people have assumed I’m a Michelin-starred chef. I once ordered pasta at a restaurant, and the waiter smirked and said, “Would you like it your way, Mr. Dente?”
Paige Turner: I hear you all. Remember, our names don’t define us—we define our names. Now, let’s do some positive affirmations. Repeat after me: “I am more than my unfortunate name.”
Group: (mumbling) I am more than my unfortunate name.
Paige Turner: “I am strong, resilient, and do not deserve this mockery.”
Group: (slightly more confident) I am strong, resilient, and do not deserve this mockery.
Paige Turner: And finally: “It is society that must change, not me.”
Group: (in full voice) IT IS SOCIETY THAT MUST CHANGE, NOT ME!
(The door bursts open. A frazzled woman stumbles in, gasping for breath.)
Mona Lott: Sorry I’m late! I got pulled over and had to explain, once again, that I’m not being sarcastic when I give my name!
Paige Turner: (sighs) Welcome, Mona. Take a seat. Sounds like you’ve had a rough day.
Mona Lott: (deadpan) You have no idea.
(Lights fade as the group sighs in shared understanding, preparing for another week of enduring society’s cruelty.)








