So, here we are. Are we all sitting comfortably? Good, then I'll begin... ahem....

Last week my friend Spike asked me why I changed my name. I didn't answer really, because I was too busy doing something else but I feel it deserves an answer, partly so she knows what to call me and partly because I think she will identify with the story.

It all began a loooong time ago, about 1000 A.D. to be exact. My family name was given to my ancestor of the day by the grandffather of William of Normandy... with me? Now a thousand years later, as I grew into a fiesty young man I became very aware of "ownership". In fact when you are born you are given a tag, a number, a bill of authenticity that says the "system' owns you. You are known to the "system" from the minute you are born and you are numbered as such for life. When you register for schools, or for sports clubs or for your licence to drive ( yes my american friends, that is how Licence is spelled in english and the word is "spelled" not "spelt".) or for your tax file number ( social security number ) or indeed for any other thing you will want during your life.

When you die, the numbers must add up and you are given a death certificate, thus you have been born, lived and died owned by the "system". You have been certified, stamped duy paid and filed in sequence with all the other special and unique snow flakes. Does that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Not me. 

But this is not the reason I decided to make the change, at least not the whole reason. I also wanted to put some emotional distance between me and my family. Not my whole family, just some of them. Not my sisters for example, 'cos I love them. So in my twenties I decided that I would take ownership of my own life and let the "system" do whatever it wants to. I chose the name of my early ancestors because it has authenticity to it and it has a great deal of history which I respect. I didn't ride into the battle of hastings (at least not in this life) but my name did and that means something to me. So I had chosen my last name and now I needed a first name. Where to look, where to look, I looked and looked and finally came up with the name of the centaur that represents ( REPRESENT! ) my zodiac sign, sagittarius. The name "Chiron" had an immediate appeal to me and so I took it. It has been abbreviated by my friends to just "Chi" and in one case ( thanks Taz ) to Chi-Chi, which makes me sound like a Macaque!

So Spike you can call me "Chi" which rhymes with "tea" and that's all there is to that really, any one else is welcome to as well. My firends from many years ago can't seem to get the hang of it but they will learn. 

Ta Ta.