Essays that worked!

Alex Frecon '09
Breck School, Wayzata, Minnesota

My Screen Name Story

My eyes bounced back and forth across the computer screen while my six year old mind scampered frantically to try and wrap itself around the idea of a "screen name." I knew what it was: a name and an identity for the America Online world. But at the same time, I could comprehend the vastness of the internet or what exactly I would be doing with this "screen name." Confused, I turned to my older brother for the answer.

"It's the name people will see when they talk to you online."

"Talk to you online?"

"Yeah, you can send each other messages and stuff."

"Oh...what's your..sc..screen name?"

"Monkeymon9."

I could feel the green eye monster's teeth sink into my back as I was overcome with envy. Why couldn't I have thought of such an amazing screen name? How can I match something like that? My mind raced through the endless possibilities as my brother began to tap the mouse impatiently. I had to think of something quick, and it had to be good, something no one else would think of. Then, I heard it : "WAGA WAGA!!!"

My eyes exploded with glee as the light bulb went off in my head. It was perfect - so unique and so hilarious. I shot my fingers to the keyboard as I hammered down the letters in the designated slot and pressed enter. It was done. I had created my own screen name: "WagaWaga!." While most screen names usually refer to one's hobby or nick name, mine had to do with something else.

When I was six years old, I would come home from school every day at about 4:00 pm. While most kids would eat a snack or run outside, I had other plans. I would throw my backpack behind my front door and race to the t.v. room and soar through the air, diving for the remote control. While I of course landed on the couch, it was still an impressive dive. Why such hurry, you ask? Well, every weekday at four o'clock, my favorite show would air: "The Muppet Babies." I would be filled with laughter watching Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and my favorite, Fozzie. In case you are not familiar with the magnificent creature, Fozzie is the kind, clumsy bear who everyday tries to ameliorate the situation with his creative, spontaneous humor. Whenever the babies are stuck in a quagmire of epic proportions (for example, going to the dreaded dentist) Fozzie finds some sort of humor in the situation, and lifts the spirits of his comrades. While most of the time he does so in vain, he dedicates himself to being true to his friends and to his cause of mollification.

How does this relate to my screen name? Fozzie had a catch phrase that I loved. He followed every joke by exclaiming "WagaWaga!" (Later, I learned that, in fact, he was saying "WakaWaka.") While I have long since grown out of the "Muppet Babies" stage of my life, there is one characteristic that I share with Fozzie. Whenever I find myself stuck in a situation where I am stressed, scared or frustrated to the point where I am feeling overwhelmed, I try to search for that lighter side that Fozzie so readily finds, and I use that as fuel to keep my train chugging along the upward slope of my high school career. This is also true with my friends. Like Fozzie, I will try to lift their spirits when they are down or make them laugh when they feel anxious. While I am actually a serious person who tends to worry, it is this humor that allows me to accomplish the things that I can, achieve the goals that seem improbable, and keeps me determined to chug to the top of the mountain, with a smile on my face.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 16:04