My nickname for the hubs has raised a few eyebrows through the years, especially the one time a client noticed my phone vibrating and couldn’t help but ask “Whoa, who’s Sex Poc?” – in the middle of a full-blown integrated marketing plan presentation.

Sex Poc – is my husband.

It’s a nickname I goofily gave him when we were in college. It was a play off the WWE wrestler X-Pac. The wrestler’s signature move, of course, was crossing his arms in an “X” and slamming them against his hips. If you don’t get the picture…I’m sure you can google it.

As the not-most-educated wrestling fan, I mistakenly heard “Sex Poc” (mind in the gutter – I know). It was hilarious, and I started playfully calling my then boyfriend (now hubby) by that name.

Now, it’s come full circle.

I unwittingly used my vehicle’s voice command to give the hubby a call while on the way to hockey camp. My 8-yr-old son didn’t say anything at the time – but apparently mulled it over the entire camp.

Once we were safely back in the vehicle, he asked, “Mom – why is Dad’s name Sex Poc in your car?”

So…I did what a good parent is supposed to do.

I lied. I lied like hell.

“Sex Poc?!? That’s silly…” I said buying time to think. “Oh no – I said X-Pac…it was a name of a wrestler Daddy liked back when we were in college and it’s my nickname for daddy.”

“X-Pac?? I thought you said SEX Poc,” He exclaimed, giggling uncontrollably. “X-Pac makes way more sense!”

“Does it son?” I thought to myself…but no, I did not say it out loud.

The cover worked. He returned to his 8-yr-old dreams of being a hockey player and started singing along to the music on the radio. He was no longer concerned about his Daddy’s nickname.

And once at my brother’s house, I changed my husband’s contact name from Sex Poc to X Poc.

The change made me a little sad. It’s been his contact name in my phone since 2000…maybe even earlier. But now I have an 8-yr-old who is paying attention and reading and I don’t need to ever actually explain how Daddy and I thought the “SEX Poc” version of the wrestler X-Pac was extra hilarious back when we were 20.

So…to cheer myself up…I changed it again, this time to “XXX Poc.”

I can say “X Poc” and my vehicle voice command figures it out. This at least gives me a few extra years before I’m officially busted and either have to fess up, or erase it forever.

I’m a big believer in holding on to the things that make us smile for no reason, and holding onto pieces of the people we were before having children. For me, it’s a silly contact name. What’s it for you?

Much Love, H

(originally published on LifesETC.com 8/23/17)