YOU CAN CALL ME RAY

Poor Gerald. His first and last names are constantly mangled.

He answered the phone today and someone pronounced Raypole as "RAPE-OLD".

One time he placed a phone order and did not spell out his name. The package arrived addressed to "Raple".

I have spelled Raypole many times and it has returned written as "Raypoll".

We've had Payroll and Rayhole.

I ordered a Christmas ornament to be inscribed "The Raypoles"; it has "The Payroles" on it; I have the copy of the order and I printed the "R" and the "P" legibly in block letters.

I've answered the phone several times with a people asking, "Is this Mrs. Pole?" Gerald has answered and has been asked, "Is this Ray?"

And then there's Gerald. I did another article about learning to pronounce Gerald's name the way it is in southern Ohio. "Gare-uld" and NOT "Jare-uld".

I won't mention the name of the relative who constantly spelled it "Gerlad" on Christmas cards. Other spellings:

Gearald
Gerold
Gereld
Gearlad
Jerald
Jerrold

When the video, "You Can Call Me Ray" came out, Gerald was constantly serenaded by family, friends and co-workers.