I’m unique in more than one way – we all are. But a news story on NPR reminded me that I don’t share my name with anyone — there’s no “name twin” for me.

A quartet of Paul O’Sullivans have banded together, literally, and released a record. It was a fun story, perfect for the Saturday morning program. They found each other when one Paul O’Sullivan, the Boston one, I think, was inspired to look up his “name twins.” He found some Paul O’Sullivans on Facebook, and soon four of them were friends in the true sense of the word.

It reminded me, however, that I don’t have a name twin. I share my first name with a few others, but to the best of my knowledge, I’m the only Mystique Macomber in the world. Toss in my middle name, and I’m positive I’m it.

Am I missing out on something? A camaraderie of sharing my name with someone else? How do people who share the same name feel about it? Do they feel like they miss out on being the only one?

I guess because I’ve always had a unique name, I take it for granted. It’s my normal. Even my grandma nickname is unique.

My unique name

Mostly I get positive comments about my first name. People will tell me it’s pretty or ask me what it means. Sometimes I’m asked if I’m named after the Marvel comic book character. I’m not. I turned 10 the year her character was introduced. Maybe she’s named after me.

Back when I was a reporter, we’d do stories each year on baby names – the most popular and the most unusual. I never saw Mystique on the list.

My first name has never ranked with the Social Security Administration, either. Did you know the SSA tracks baby names by year? You can see the top names for every decade back to 1900.

Growing up, I didn’t appreciate my unique name. Family and friends called me Mysti, which was fine. When I went to college, I started using my full name, and it stuck. Finally, I liked have a memorable name. As a journalist, it helped to have something that people remembered. Even if they didn’t recall exactly what it was, they knew I was the one with the weird name.

Mispronounced and misspelled

Oh, and the pronunciations! I’ve been called Mystic, Miss Teak, Mesquite and Mistake. It used to bother me, but not anymore. Now, I find it funny. Giving my name over the phone is an adventure. And my last name? The pronunciation I learned is likely anglicized – not Scottish. I’ve actually thought about changing the accent on it, but then I’d probably trip over it. It’s hard enough having an odd name without getting it wrong myself.

And forget about spelling. Between my first and last names, rarely will anyone even attempt to spell them. Starbucks one time gave me “Mistikue,” and that was after I spelled it for the barista. I enunciate and pause so people are more likely to write or type it properly. It seems to have gotten a little better over time. Maybe because my email address uses both my first and last names. It’s easy … if you spell them right. But it means I say and spell them a lot.

Having a name twin might actually be interesting. We could commiserate on sharing such an unusual name and compare pronunciations and funny stories. But that won’t happen, I guess. Maybe someday I’ll meet another Mystique, and that will have to be enough for this unicorn.

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How to be a Better Writer Tip

Look for topics in everyday things

I was listening to the radio when this writing topic came to me. If you’re struggling for a topic, take a look (or listen) to what’s going on around you. Is there something that catches your eye or ear? Something you can think about a little more?

Can you build off something in your environment? The news? The weather? Conversations with friends or family?

Anything is fair game when you’re writing, especially if you’re writing for yourself. If it’s for an audience, you might need to be pickier.

Or not. After all, I just wrote a column about name twins and waxed on about my unusual moniker. Perhaps it just proves you can write whatever strikes your fancy.