A to Z Challenge: Kristenhead Keeps Kidding

Today's A to Z Challenge letter

It is now time to finally explain why on Earth my nickname is Kristenhead. I know, it sounds like it's either a schoolyard nickname or something dirty. And it's not both, which would be really disturbing. The truth is, it's neither. It's actually a funny story.

It all happened because of my bad back. My back went out a few years ago, and I was stuck on the floor. I was in San Diego, my mother was away on a business meeting, and my father lived two hours away and had to work. My brother and cousin lived nearby, but they both had to work as well. So I just ate whatever I could reach, and painfully crawled to the bathroom when I couldn't hold it anymore.

So, unbeknownst to me, my mother called my cousin (whose schedule was not as hectic as my brother's), and asked him to help me out. He did just that, and it was very sweet. I was a little out of it, but he helped me get some food to eat, and we talked for a little while until he had to leave. End of story.

Or so I thought. For the next week, my cousin would say "Kristenhead? Don't ever call me Kristenhead," each time he saw me. He had been on a "head" kick lately, calling everyone Something-head, so I just ignored him and figured it had to do with that.

Audio Recording on Friday morning by Kristen Dyrr

But after an entire week of "Kristenhead? Don't ever call me Kristenhead," I finally asked him, "Why do you keep saying that?" He said, "What, you don't remember?" Then he told me about how he came to help me when my back was out -- OK, fine, I remember that -- and how, as he was leaving, he said, "Wellll, Kristenhead!" He said that as soon as those words came out of his mouth, I got all indignant and said, "Kristenhead? Don't ever call me Kristenhead!"

OK, now that part I don't remember. I told him that maybe I was just kidding, but he said that I wasn't kidding. In fact, I seemed like I was really upset about it, and he left feeling sort of bad. I had no clue! We both thought this new revelation was hilarious, and started cracking up about it.

Audio Recording on Friday morning by Kristen Dyrr

So for another whole week after that, we started saying it to each other, but as fast as we possibly could. We both sounded like a broken record, repeating "Kristenhead? Don't ever call me Kristenhead!"