Kran's Crackers

My name is Sharon. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a middle-aged working wife and mother from Central New Jersey. Are you still with me? Good!

When I decided that to write my own blog, I wondered about what to name it. I know there are some people who pick witty, funny names, but I wanted something that had significance to me. If it turned out to be witty and funny that would have just been an added bonus. So the mission was to come up with a name that I'm fairly sure nobody else is using.

Now, as to where Kran's Crackers come from - there IS an actual story behind it. When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn, my maiden name was Kran. Four letters, no fuss - such a simple name. You would not believe the amount of misspellings and mispronunciations associated with that simple, four letter name. It's pronounced just like it looks - it's the same "cran" sound as in cranberries. Yet, it's been mangled to cron, crown, crawn and crane more times than I can tell you. And I give credit to the post office every time they managed to deliver a letter addressed to Krane, Kraw and Krin.

But then, one day, Ocean Spray came out with a drink called CranApple juice. That was not a good day for this Kran. Yes, I was called KranApple as a nickname, and I didn't like it very much at all. My cousin Barry had it much worse, though. Imagine being in school and when the teacher called out last name then first - Kran, Barry - I'm sure he cringed each and every time. He's an optometrist today and I sincerely hope that if one of his old classmates who used to tease him comes to see him, he dilates their pupils just for the hell of it. Lord knows I would.

Anyway, after being called KranApple one too many times (i.e. being tormented by bullies) one day I snapped. "I HATE that name! STOP CALLING ME KRANAPPLE!" My tormentor smiled and said, "Okay - KranCracker". How or why he came up with that moniker, I'll never know. But somehow, it stuck with me (in my brain) for the rest of my life. The ironic part is that I can't remember the face or the name of the person who originally called me Kran Cracker. Their identity has faded into obscurity. But Kran Cracker has stuck.

And, since most of us are a little bit crackers at some time or another, and I’m sure I am many times, I thought that calling this Kran's Crackers would be appropriate. As I continue to blog, I just may prove that I am crackers after all. There you have it.

As I blog, I'll share my thoughts on many different topics. You might agree with me, you might not, and that's all right. I welcome all opinions, as long as you voice them with respect. If you’re a troll or a troublemaker, take a hike now. Otherwise, if you just have a differing opinion about something I say, who knows - I might actually learn from you. So don't be afraid to respond to me. Have fun, and enjoy.