My Blog Profile

My blogger name is Thaddeus O Pablo. Why you ask? Because these are my two identities, and “O” is Spanish for the word “Or.” You can call me by either name, and I’ll answer. I also answer to any name that rhymes with Thad, such as Brad, Chad, or Tad. I have been called by these names almost as often as I’ve been called by my own name. I get called Tad more than I used to. Someone told me it’s because there is a soap opera character named Tad, but I haven’t verified this. People have trouble with the name Thad. I don’t know why. It’s phonetic in English. It’s only four letters. But even after I spell it for people, they sometimes look at me like my zipper is undone. Perhaps it is undone, and I just don’t take the hint. But I don’t think so. People just have a tough time with my name. It's like they can't believe what they are hearing.

But back to the two name thing. My mother gave me the name Thaddeus, which is Aramaic for “lion-hearted warrior.” OK, I just made that up. Actually, it means “heart,” but I like the other better. Add “lion-hearted warrior” to the list of names I’ll answer to. I’m glad that my mother named me, because my dad wanted to name me Gustav Farquar. I don’t know how to spell the second of those names; I’m sure I have it wrong. If you know the proper spelling, let me know. I did look up the meaning of Gustav. It’s German/Scandinavian and means “staff of the Goths.” I’ll just stick with Thad or Thaddeus while I'm in the US. While this name should be easy to pronounce in English, it is nearly impossible for Spanish-speakers. They just don’t do the whole “th” thing. So Pablo, the Spanish version of my middle name Paul, is my name when I’m in Honduras.

While we're talking pronunciation, you may wonder about the name of my blog. If you haven’t figured it out, True-hee-yo is simply an English, phonetic spelling of Trujillo, the town in Honduras where our school is. If you don’t know phonics, then this may not help you. In that case, just call me Tad.