By John Leaf Special to OnMilwaukee.com Published Jun 20, 2011 at 4:38 PM

Do you have a nickname, or know someone with one? I'll bet if you do, there is a certain amount of emotion, pride, humor, family history, or even a playground story related to it. As human beings, we live in the stories we tell ourselves, or live into the labels and stories we allow others to tell about us. Flat out, nicknames intrigue us.

Nicknames are living conversations. They can reinforce who we are, or who we want to be. They provide us with a sense of identity, an emotional connection, and they always seem to have certain amount of intimacy imbedded in them. They can even invoke status, or overwhelm us. I have known some people that are so well known by their nickname, that their given birth name is unknown to their roommate, or close friend.

Nicknames also involve both the giver and the receiver of them. I'm actually much more adroit at giving them than getting them. Providing them allows me to remember something distinguishing or memorable about someone. And it is funny how universal they are, as other people are so quick to see the same attribute in someone else. Nicknames are therefore dynamic, participatory, and living conversations, that make a difference in both the giver and receiver.

Nicknames can also raise more questions than answers. Where do they come from? Why is someone nicknamed "Fifi the Hat Lady, or "Wheels," or "Piano Legs," "Pablo," or "Screwdriver Jones"? How do you possibly overcome a nickname you don't like? Once a nickname is out there, they are pretty difficult to reclaim.

Nicknames are also the rage in popular culture, and in social media. Think about how many professional athletes, politicians, celebrities, and musicians are known by their nickname alone. Does anyone really know Snooki's birth name from Jersey Shore, (Nicole Polizzi) or Tiger Woods real birth name? (Eldrick Woods).

Needless to say, I've fascinated by nicknames, and how we label so many things in life. I have spent the past three years collecting and sharing stories about nicknames through a nickname website. So that is what this blog is all about, collecting and sharing these nickname stories with you. Unraveling the implied intimacy of them, and the role they play in their lives. Like nicknames themselves, I hope and trust this blog will take on a life of its own.

In my future blogs, I'll be exploring where nicknames come from: I'll be doing man on the street interviews at summer festivals, musical events, professional sporting events, softball diamonds, bowling alleys, kickball fields, local bars, and heading from the inner city to the suburbs, all in pursuit of nicknames, and sharing those stories with you. I'll also be exploring larger issues related to other ways that labels impact our daily lives in ways I'll bet you've never even considered.

Lastly, I also invite you to share your nickname stories with me via OnMilwaukee.com and this blog. You can also visit my website at nicknamestories.com. We want this to be a forum and a storytelling repository that enlarges our sense of community here in Milwaukee, and beyond. We know ourselves only to the extent we allow ourselves to be known by others.

Thankfully, the stories will tell themselves. Be a part of it. Help make it better.

John Leaf Special to OnMilwaukee.com

John Leaf was born in western Illinois, a mile east of the Mississippi. College in Chicago. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy. Leaf was goalie on the soccer team and captain of the golf team in college. He cut class to ride the "L" to see Cubs games, hung out for hours at the Art Institute and bent the brain doing graduate school in Theology.

He spent three mind-blowing summers in coastal British Columbia, as a resort photographer. He worked and lived in Minneapolis. He did hard time at a bank on LaSalle Street in Chicago and learned about PR, working at big firm a block off Michigan Avenue, while living in Evanston.

Now Leaf is just living the dream, under the radar, in Cedarburg. He's passionate about nicknames and launched his website three years ago.

He dabbles in yoga and cycling. Fishtailing as always, and taking a whack at life, like everyone else.