Nicknames

I am a person that people like to call by anything but my name. Lets begin with the name. I don't go by me legal first name. Only you family members reading this or elementary schoolmates with good memories or bad first dates know this. I don't give that away for free. I have many nicknames. My sister Kristin started calling me Ralph when I was just starting at Travis Ranch Middle School. I think it was because she was getting into fashion, a la Ralph Lauren. Whatever the reason it stuck, everyone in middle school and high school called me Ralph. My Mom addresses me as Ralph to this day. I would have been a lot cooler if I decided to only go by Ralph in college. Alas, my William Miller status from the movie Almost Famous haunts me. "One day you will be cool". I'll settle with being fun over being cool. My Dad started calling me Dottie as a youth. I played competitive softball. What is that? In California we are blessed with no snow, aka HELL for softball players, year round ball. I was also really good. I was a catcher in the early years, around the time "A League of their Own" came to the cinema houses. Dottie Hensen aka Gina Davis aka the badass catcher and hitter reminded my Dad of myself, because of my obvious talents and beauty, hence him calling me Dottie. I also had various nicknames people decided to call me: Ripper- for how I ripped the ball in HS softball, not for gas reasons. LVK- obvious choice, college call sign also my name for most of the improv community.