I called myself the family disaster for years. Now I want them to stop
Confessions'We'll let someone organised handle it,' my cousin said when I offered to arrange our picnic. Then she used the nickname I gave myself: the family disaster.
I started the joke in my twenties after a few late arrivals and one forgotten bag. It let me laugh first instead of feeling embarrassed. I repeated it so often that other people began using it affectionately. Now I'm usually the one checking the meeting time and bringing what I promised, but every sensible contribution gets treated as a surprising exception.
I've even used the label recently when I wanted someone else to make a tedious arrangement. That makes it harder to say I'm tired of it.
How do I ask for the nickname to retire while admitting I've kept it convenient? I want to be trusted with the picnic, not give a speech about how everyone failed to notice I've changed.