The Story Behind the Name

For those who know me, I am a face that goes by many names - a never ending stream of nicknames and abbreviations. Why Joda? one may ask. My response is simple, really.

Some time ago - long enough to be a while, yet still close enough to avoid the label of eternity - a friend of mine was making a feeble attempt to create a new nickname for me. Unfortunately for him, when I mentioned the fact that I had a plethora of nicknames already in my posession, he didn't believe me. After tossing several ideas on the table only to have them immediately discarded, this friend had to spend some time in real thought. A new nickname must not only be original, but fitting.

When Joda came to the table, I must admit that it was very nearly a hastydiscard. But I took the time to ponder it, roll it over, swirl it about in the recesses of my mind. Being the world traveller that I am, I thought it through with various accents I've heard abroad. One in particular rose above the rest in regard to this new name I was trying out.

I was in Estonia and recall being amused that none of the nationals could pronounce my name correctly. It always came out Yordan. Jordan - Yordan, Joda - Yoda! Hey, this could work! So, Joda with an Estonian accent becomes Yoda.

This appealed to me for several reasons. None of them being a desire to be a small green man with a voice comparable to that of Kermit the Frog. However, many moons ago, the idea of being green did indeed appeal to me. As a child, I was every parent's dream eating all that was green - cucumber, broccoli, peas - in order to become green myself. Stan, the blind man living in my grandmother's basement had embarked upon my quest as well, stating that he, too, carried the desire to become green (it was only later in life that I realize he had only humoured me with this comment because, being blind, he knew nothing of what green really was). So, becoming Joda (remember the Estonian accent here) would cater to my long lost desire to be green. The second reason is obvious. The original Yoda is know for his infinate stores of unmatched wisdom. "Do or do not, there is no try", "Ready are you? What know you of ready?", "Named must your fear be before banish it you can". Who wouldn't want to be Yoda?

So, Joda I have become if only for these few precious moments a day, week or month.