DannyBoyinExile

The other day, someone asked me why people call me DannyBoy, and if there was any type of meaning to it. Well, I can’t think of a single thing that it COULD mean, except for a name, but I don’t mind answering her question.
TDCJ is undoubtedly the world capital (or, at least, the state capital) of aliases. Everyone here has given names, of course, but those are nowhere near as unique, witty, or just plain stupid, as the ones we make up here. It’s best to come up with your own nickname, but if you don’t already have one: no problem. One will be issued to you, on the spot.
They said one guy looked like a character named Tuna from a TV show. Care to guess what they call him now? Another guy was just released from seg, and had really bushy hair. Someone joked with him that he needed to cut it before he started looking like Shaggy, from the Scooby Doo cartoon. He DID get a haircut, but it was too late – Shaggy was born.
There’s probably not ANY popular movie, TV show, or book that doesn’t contain a character who was reborn in TDCJ. And that’s not even counting the various, random objects that people are named after.
Food Loaf, for the guy in seg who couldn’t stay off food loaf restriction. Knock-Knock, for the poor guy with really bad OCD, who couldn’t keep himself from knocking on every single object, door, or wall that he passed. (Needless to say, he didn’t last very long as the night shift janitor on our wing. After waking several people up with random knocks – they demanded his resignation.)
I can’t remember how many inmates named Oso (bear) that I’ve known throughout the years. Or Flaco (skinny) or Chapo (shorty). There are also a dozen Wolves, Killers, or Snakes on every unit.
This practice isn’t confined to the inmates, either. Each unit will have a handful of guards who have earned their own aliases, for one reason or another. Captain Spanky (like the chubby kid from Our Gang) is probably a Warden by now. I also remember a Big Tiny – which is about the most polite thing you can call a Sergeant who weighs nearly 300 pounds. Here we have a Chicken Patty. Another is called Lil Tupac, because he resembles the late rapper. Boots is an African immigrant who wears cowboy boots to work every day, which is admittedly rare. Red is the lady who wears a bright red wig. Big Show, of course, is every bit as large as the wrestler with the same name. And every unit probably has a Harry Potter, who looks like he just graduated from high school!
As for me, I never felt comfortable calling myself anything other than my own name. I was Danny, or Matthews, and that was it. People tried giving me several silly nicknames, but I simply wouldn’t answer to any of them. One guy asked me why I insisted on being called by my “government name”. I’m like, “The government didn’t give me that name – my family did!”
Until one day, this guy that I didn’t even like started embellishing my name by calling me DannyBoy – and it stuck. It doesn’t have any particular meaning, oath than it being the only nickname they could find a way to brand me with. If there’s any other meaning at all, it’s only that my first name is Danny, and I’ve always looked rather young for my age. Even now (ahem… in my 50s!), I have an aura of youthfulness about myself – if you can overlook the blonde hairs that are creeping in!
Some people still call me Danny, Matthews – or Matt, for short. A few idiots even call me Daniel, assuming that’s my real name, which it’s not.
For better or worse, the name DannyBoy has basically achieved Rock Star status, so I might as well get used to it. Besides – it sure beats some of the other monikers I’ve encountered around here, so I can’t complain. So says DannyBoy.