My Name is Zoe

I realized recently that there are so many people out there in the interwebs that have only seen my name in print and have never heard me say it. Therefore, most people, except for my close friends and family, don't pronounce my name "right". I don't say it like the character on Sesame Street does, my name is Zoe. Said ZO.... not ZO-EEEE. Like Joe, but with a Z instead of a J.

I never had a problem with people saying my name wrong until Zoe became a popular name in the last 15 years or so. Keep in mind that I'm of "a certain age" and that growing up I was the kid with the weird name. I was teased, called "Zoo" or "Zuzu" (like the little girl in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life"). When introducing myself I always had to spell my name. Many folks would ask "How did you get that name?" and "What does it mean?" Here's the story - not very remarkable, but when my Mom was pregnant she and my Dad were watching the Olympics and there was a swimmer named Zoe. They liked the name and gave it to me. It means "Life" in Greek, but I don't have a drop of Greek in me. These days so many people tell me that their granddaughter is named Zoe. Or their dog is named Zoe. There's a lot of young girls running around out there with my name, all of them pronouncing it wrong! So if you ever have the chance to speak to me in person, remember to leave off the EEEE. It's Zo(e). Thanks.