Jerky

Jerky is the nickname I got when I was around 12 or 13 years old from friends.  The evolution came when I was first given the nickname of “erk.”  My friends Ryan, Matt and Brian had all gone to a summer camp and came back with the names of “Rain,” “Mate” and “Brain.”  Needless to say, I needed one too, so mine was “erk.” 

Shortly thereafter, they started calling me “Jofa Erk.”  Jofa was the brand of their hockey helmets, and they said my head was shaped just like that.  “Jofa Erk” lasted only a couple weeks until they started shortening it to “Jerk,” a name which most people that know me probably already call me. 

After that, they went with “Jerky” because it sounded better.  These friends, however, were friends from church, and went to a different High School than I did.  At my High School, nobody knew me by that name until my Senior year, when one of my teachers met some of my friends from the opposing school.  They asked her if she knew “Jerky,” and she came in the next day with a large grin and started calling me “Jerky.”  It began to stick, even with people who had known me by other names for many years (perhaps because it was so close to the name they already called me behind my back?).  From then on, I was Jerky, even sometimes with my parents.

In 2004, I started a Computer company called “Jerky Computers,” despite advice telling me not to.  I can’t say that it was successful, but I can’t say the name made a difference either.  On the internet, I still go by “Jerky” in many online forums, so the name still perpetuates.  I think it will probably be with me all my life, so get used to it .