My given name is Donald, Don for short, but my mother always called me "Donnie" from the first day I heard her call me to supper, scold me for doing something that I shouldn't, or praise me for doing something that pleased her. Even after my adolescent days were behind me, my mother would still call me "Donnie." In contrast, my second grade teacher, Mrs. Whitson--may God rest her soul--would always refer to me by my full first name; and, in due time, I was nevertheless happy to hear someone, anyone, call me "Donnie."
You should know right from the outset that I'm a consummate perfectionist, and can even be characterized as a bit obsessive, perhaps even compulsive. Regarding the latter, when I was a child, I can recall going to the grocery store with my mom or grandma and walking endlessly up and down the cereal isle, tapping each individual box of cereal with my index finger. I wouldn't count them, heavens no. That's not what obsessive-compulsive people do, you see. Instead, my goal was to touch each box in turn, but touch them only once mind you, while making certain I hadn't neglected any. But, if any boxes remained unattended, I would have to start the ritual all over again, from the beginning, touching each box until I was sure I had completed the ritual, flawlessly. Now, as regards the former, nothing I can write here would ever do justice in describing as to what manner of obsessive perfectionism I am so possessed. As most perfectionists will tell you, we are never fully satisfied with a task, a project, or whatever it is we may be engaged in doing at the moment. As a member of their lot, I find myself constantly reviewing what I write, to ferret out even the slightest imperfection so that anything which does not meet my highest expectation does not escape my scrutiny. Moreover, as a perfectionist, I ascribe to the philosophy: If you want to get it done correctly, you must do it yourself. So, being a perfectionist does have its up-side: you get your work done accurately and effectively. However, being a perfectionist also has its down-side: it takes you a lot longer to get something done, which is often not the most efficient way to go about any task. That being said, I'm so glad to make your acquaintance.