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What's the deal with your nickname? How did you get it? If your nickname is self-explanatory, then tell everyone when you first started using the internet, and what was the first thing that made you say "wow, this isn't just a place for freaks after all?" Was it a website? Was it an email from a long-lost friend? Go on, spill it.

Alwin isn't a nickname, it's my real name. But it does have an interesting story behind it...

My grandparents took in a German immigrant by the name of Alwin John Reubens during the Great Depression. My mom and the rest of her sibs grew up with this gentle man, and always called him Uncle Al.

I was to be named for my maternal grandfather, Sheldon Andrew Hawkins, when I was born. But I was born on Uncle Al's birthday; and nobody in the family had the heart to deny him gift of a namesake. So I was named Alwin John, and my brother- who was born, coincidentally, on my maternal grandfather's birthday- was named Sheldon Andrew.

Which may say something about waiting until the time is right, or synchronicity, or patience. Me, I was just happy to be spared growing up as a boy named Shelly.