Some years ago, before we got married, I heard my wife call her cat “Anneciğim” (“mommy”).

This was before I learned that it’s quite common for Turkish mothers to call their infant sons and daughters “Anneciğim,” so I said, in that tentative and careful way you speak to a psychotic person when trying to delicately break the news to them that they are crazy:

“You know, uh, that cat is not actually your mother.”

She laughed and explained the custom to me.

Now that I know what’s going on, I realize it’s actually quite logical. If your kid is learning how to speak, and you want him or her to call you “Anneciğim,” you say “Anneciğim” a lot when you are around him or her. Duh.

That reminds me of the general principle that people like, no, LOVE, to hear their own names. So use them a lot in your presentations.

One of my favorite bands, Love and Rockets, mentions this very thing in their song “No New Tale To Tell”:

People like to hear their names.

I’m no exception,

Please call my name.

(I’ve written about this before, so these lyrics will be well-known to regular readers.)

And for those of you who now have Love and Rockets running through your heads, I will link you directly to the song. You’re welcome. 😉