NAME CHALLENGE - Revived!

Long ago and on a 'legacy chain' far, far away, there lived a little challenge. It was was originated by Hive account@felobtc who was inspired by the post "THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME" by Hive account@lymepoet about the origin of her username.

The challenge was fun, but with a deeper purpose: to learn more about each other, and to thereby foster friendships by sharing a bit of our true selves. So, I am hereby reviving this challenge on Hive and hope there will be lots of participants! I'm calling this a 'challenge' as opposed to a 'contest,' as there are no prizes other than strengthening our bonds with others via sharing. Also, there is no 'deadline' for participating; I hope people will continue accepting the challenge for years to come!

THE RULES

Tell us in a post how you chose your username, the story behind it.
~~Tell us your real name!~~ [optional, for security reasons]
If you could change your current username, which name would you choose and why?
Use the tag #namechallenge so that we can track all the posts.
You may post to your own blog or any community of your choice.
Nominate 5 people for this challenge.

^{~ image by Qwen-Image AI, courtesy of PEAKD, editing by me~}

I don't feel it would be fair if I didn't participate in this challenge, too, after reviving it, so without further ado, here goes! Many people assume my name was chosen because I like cats. While it is true that I like cats, that was not really the intent...

HOW I CHOSE MY NAME

I am quiet
until I feel comfortable around you,
then I can be quite vocal.
I can be a purr-fect and loyal friend.
I am usually sweet and gentle,
unless you corner me.
Then, I will bare my claws
and fight.
I can move very quickly.
And quietly.
Unless I'm wearing high heels.
click... click... click...
Some people call me mysterious,
although I don't try to be that way.
It just happens.
Misunderstood?
I think I'm just Miss Understood.
There's nothing quite so good
as a nap.
Or seafood.
Or a fun toy!
Or a flower.
Or that pretty stone.
Pretty stone? Pretty stone!
Is that pretty stone a quartz or a plagioclase?
hmmm...
Curious about everything.

...and thus... thekittygirl

^{~ photo by me, of a rock from my collection ~}

MY REAL NAME

Not going there. However, many people call me "Kitty" in real-life, so that will suffice. 😸 One of my aunts was also called "Kitty," but it was a diminutive for "Katherine." My nickname didn't originate until later in life, so there was no confusion between my aunt and myself when I was a child.

IF I COULD CHANGE MY NAME

I would probably pick the username I've used on my personal blog (before Hive) for a long time. It is a diminutive of my middle name as well as the name of a goddess. I actually don't know why I didn't go with it when I signed-up here. 😂 I don't want to reveal it here, though, as I might still find another use for it.

MY NOMINATIONS!

NOTE: Anyone is welcome to participate, even if you weren't tagged!

𝕋𝕙𝕒𝕟𝕜𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘! 😊

SOURCES & NOTES

My rewards are being burned on this post because it is essentially the same as a post I made in April-2018 about the same topic. I didn't "decline rewards" because I want curators to get their due, and burning increases the value of the HIVE coin.
All writing is always by me with NO AI used, not even for proofreading.
Photo of the rock in my hand be me, as indicated.
image at top of this post by: Qwen-Image AI - free model, photographic rendering, courtesy of PEAKD, prompt: "katie white, of the band the ting tings, singing," editing by me with PaintShopPro™

...and now, the fun video of "That's Not My Name" by The Ting Tings
I love that little pause she puts in the last line of the chorus... so cool! 😁

^_29-Oct-2025