I stopped into the beauty salon for a quick treatment. “How do you spell your last name?” the beautician asked. “M, C, L, E, E, S, E,” I answered, enunciating each letter carefully. For a name that seems so simple to me, most people tend to misspell it.

She searched through her file of cards, finding nothing. Exasperated, she asked me again. “Could you spell it one more time?” I began again, “M, C, L, E,…” She rifled cards. A few moments later, she spoke again. “It’s not here. I can’t find it. See,” and with this she pointed to a section of cards, “here are the end of the MCIs and the beginning of the MCKs. Your name isn’t in there.”

I looked at the cards she was indicating. As non-offensively as I could I suggested she look *after* the MCKs instead of before them. She stared at me blankly then realization struck. “Oh, my god. I really am in college. I do know how to spell.”

I watched her pull my card. I secretly hoped she was better at handling hot wax than at alphabetizing.