Jed Handspicker
      Hello,

      My name is Jared "Jed" Handspicker.  My given name is Jared but, I've
      been called "Jed" since I was about 3 years-old.  Family legend has it
      that my brother was unable to properly pronounce my name.  All he could
      manage was "Je-ed"... So, it stuck.  Only a few people call me Jared,
      these days.  All of my family calls me Jed, unless they're being really
      serious.  Something I'm not known for, myself.  Anyway, about me?  Well,
      I run my own web site:  http://www.jedh.com/ and there is a section
      there, devoted to explaining exactly WHO I am.  My e-mail address is
      jedh@jedh.com I suppose I also just like seeing my name in print. :-)

      I've been known by several names, in my life.... Jed, Jared, Hawk, Bird,
      Overbuy, Farmer, Twinkle Toes.. to name a few.  The ONE name that
      always seems to stick is JED!

      I've been on the receiving end of plenty of teasing, due, mostly to my
      LAST name...  as you might well imagine.  My first name has ended up as
      Jeddy, Jeddy Beddy-Bye, Jeddy Jumper and a few others.  The Beverly
      Hillbillies was the catalyst to many other nicks, like Jethro, or...
      Clampett.

      The most common anecdotal story I tell about my name is in reference to
      all the rhyming names that are often confused as being OUR names.  So
      many times, I'll tell someone my name and it gets spoken or written as
      any of the following possibilities:  Jay, Judd, Jet, Ned, Ted, Fred...
      etc.

      On with the story.  There I was, in the midst of Victoria Station in
      London, England.  Having traveled there alone, I wasn't exactly
      expecting anyone I knew to "be around."  While looking up at the
      schedule of stops for my return trip, before heading out to explore the
      great city, I heard my name being called out, rather loudly.  A woman's
      voice, calling it out, clear as day... "Jed! Jed!" Surprised that anyone
      in this place might actually be someone I know, I eagerly looked around
      for where this voice was coming from.  I started wandering around,
      looking for a woman calling out.  The calling of my name got clearer and
      louder, while heading in the direction of the station shops.

      Arriving outside the shop that seemed to be the source of the "name
      calling" I entered, eagerly.  Looking around, I saw no woman at all.  A
      couple of elderly gentlemen, sitting at a table, but... no one calling
      my name.  I heard it again.... "Jed! Jed!"  Whereupon, I looked directly
      behind the counter at a cage.  In the cage was an African Grey parrot.
      A plaque on the cage stated the bird's name was "Jed".  Amused at how
      clearly the bird sounded like a woman.... and an attractive one, at
      that... I asked the two gentlemen if the shopkeeper or the bird's owner
      was around.  They told me the owner would return in a few minutes, if I
      didn't mind waiting.  So, I waited... my curiosity getting the best of
      me.

      About fifteen minutes later, the owner of the shop returned.  She was
      drop-dead gorgeous, with that soft English accent that always made me
      melt.  As I TRIED to ask her about the parrot, I kept falling over my
      own words, until I finally blurted out, "Hello, I'm Jed!"  Her jaw hit
      the floor!  She stared at me for a few silent moments... unable to
      speak.  I didn't know what to do.  I came out with something like, "Are
      you okay?"  She finally regained her composure.   Apparently, the parrot
      had been named after her late husband.  She was a young widow, of a man
      who died during the Falklands War.  His full name was Jedidiah and she
      bought the bird at the suggestion of her mother, to keep her "company"
      while she was mourning her late husband.  Her mother had also told her
      that she would someday meet another man called "Jed"... (I never asked
      if her Mum was a psychic or Tarot card reader!)  Anyway, when I told her
      that was my name, I was the first Jed she had met in all the years since
      her husband had passed away.   Needless to say, when such an attractive
      woman asks a guy like me out, I RARELY say "No."  So, after spending the
      day in London, taking in the sights, I returned to the shop, as Wendy
      was closing.  We went out for dinner, then to her flat, to have a drink
      or two and talk.  She was simply put... CHARMING!  I wondered if her
      mother had meant me, when she spoke of another "Jed".. Dang, how I
      WISHED that were true.  We actually dated off and on for about six
      months.  Eventually, we became more friends than lovers.  There had been
      a chemistry, which seemed to fade as time passed.  I still think of
      Wendy, often, whenever someone asks me about love at first sight, or,
      about destiny/kismet/fate.

      I've only heard from her one time, since returning to the States.  It
      was a very lovely Christmas card.  Within the card, she wrote some very
      kind and loving words.  "I have still not met another Jed.  I have also
      not yet met ANY man I could "replace" my OWN Jed with.  I often wonder
      if I never gave you the chance I should have."  There were more words,
      but, you get the idea.

      Anyway, that's my story... call it "A Jed Love Story" if you wish...
      it's, for obvious reasons, my favorite one. :-)

      jedh                http://www.jedh.com                           jedh@jedh.com

      --
      "The best and most beautiful things in the world can not be seen or even
      touched. They Must be felt with the heart."

           -Helen Keller