Today I met a girl with a pen name.

Let's just say her name was Kirsten.

(I changed the name to protect the identity of this person and… I'm not gonna lie… to protect myself from this person knowing that I've written what I'm about to write – although that might just be another one of my pipe dreams).

She handed me her business card and I, deligent & eager, read her name and said, "Kirsten Gump".

(Pronouncing it: Kirsten. Straight up. Like: kerr-sten.)

She immediately corrected my pronunciation, "No.  It's  Ki(y)rsten.

(Pronouncing it all fancy-schmancy like: key-er-sten).

[My chin slowly nodded upward and gently back down as if to say, 'ah, yes. But of course.' (in an English accent, no less) ...while giving her the hairy eyeball]

I see.

[beat]

OK. Seriously? IT'S A PEN NAME PEOPLE.

Get real.