How I Got to Be a Kiwi Bird

Yes, this is the Fabulous Kiwi Bird at her leisure.

I'm not a New Zealander; I live in St. Louis, Missouri. Does it seem odd that I'm named after a New Zealand bird? Are you wondering why I'm called "Kiwi"? Here's the story...
Some time during the winter of 1982, on a freezing cold, snowy evening, my ex-husband and I were out walking. I was wearing a fat, padded jacket and a pair of platform shoes (this was the last time they were in style) and my toes were curled from cold. This gave me an odd, stiff gait, and with my slight stoop and padded jacket, I must have looked a bit funny. My ex-husband burst out laughing and said "you look just like a kiwi bird!" He used the name to tease me for a while, but the name caught on with my friends, and it became my usual soubriquet. People know me as "Kiwi" all over the world, and my personal card says

It's the Bird, Not the Fruit!

P.S. If you really want to know more about me, visit my Live Journal and read some of my poetry.

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