THEODORE RUSSELL HALL III

The name I was born with I thought I didn’t want. I could shorten it to three letters but that didn’t help. I’ve always thought that my name was not cool enough to fit in. I wanted something different until I was old enough to learn the origin. I found out that my dad also shared my burden and I felt a little better, but, at the time, being around six, I thought that everyone called him dad like I did so It didn’t really help. In that moment I learned that my grandfather’s name was also the same. The importance didn’t kick in until about seven when I learned that I was the only one who called my dad, dad. It was in 5^th grade that I encountered my first insults based solely on my name. I got the typical teddy bear, which I hated, T’mack, theo huckstable, Theodore Roosevelt. I hate these names but what can one do to escape them. These teases and taunts caused me to hate my name and want to change it until sixth grade. My dad and I were talking as usual and he said, “Do you know why I named you after me and your grandfather.” I said no and he said, “I am starting a legacy that I want you to be apart of. I want you to carry this name to greatness just like my father wanted for me. I know I may not be rich but I’m better off than my father and I want you to be better off than me.” With these words settling a little uneasy on my mind I realized how much pressure I had been placed under. In my eyes my dad was the riches, coolest, most talented man on the face of the earth. I went until about eight or ninth grade when I realized I wanted this challenge to surpass my dad and become the most successful Theodore Russell Hall III In my family. This challenge has made the ambitious student and want-to-be lawyer I can be. My name has inspired me to be great. My name is extremely common in the world and there’s about a billion people who share my name but none of them share my legacy that I plan to create.