The Birth of Mere-Maw

I've had many nicknames throughout my life: Mere, Mer-Mer (what my niece affectionatley calls me) Mersey (a term my dad most often uses...sometimes even taking it as far as "Mersey Wersey from Jersey")...but none of them ever stuck.

However, before we were even dating, my husband coined me with the nickname "Mere Maw." Now, this was a new one for me, yet perhaps the most appropriate. I've always had a penchant for going to bed early (8:30 or 9:00), some of my favorite publications are Reader's Digest, Southern Living, and Ladies Home Journal, and I've always had an affinity for Luby's.

As I said, Chad gave me this new nickname before we were even dating. One night, four years ago, Chad and I went out with some friends to a haunted house. After we finished traipsing through the haunted house, we decided to go to one of our friend's house to watch Monthy Python and the Holy Grail. At this point, it was about 9:30 and my eye lids were getting pretty droopy. Putting me in front of a movie late at night is like putting a baby in a bed with a pacifier. But, since I was with a group of friends (and a boy that I had the hots for) I told myself to stay strong, stay alert, and for goodness sake's, stay awake. Fifteen minutes into the movie, I was knocked out and snoring like a 60 year old man with a sinus infection.

I awoke, startled at the sound of their collective laughs. Above the sound from the movie and the hum from the air conditioner, my snoring had rattled throughout the room like the buzz of a high powered chainsaw. Yes, I was embarrased, but I was also kind of relieved that my secret was out. I simply cannot function past 10:00pm. Chad made a crack about "Mere Maw" and it stuck - Chad and my friends have been using that term for four years now.

Fast forward two years later to our honeymoon in Charleston, South Carolina. As Chad was taking a shower, I browsed through a few of the complimentary magazines that were in our hotel room. I was engrossed in an article when Chad came out of the bathroom. "We're on our honeymoon and my wife is reading AARP magazine!" he exclaimed, shaking his head in shame. "But there is a fabulous article on Cybil Shephard!" I tried to explain. He just didn't understand. That is one of my favorite things about Chad - even though he is four years older than me, he keeps me young.