Why the nickname?

The most common question I get is "Oh, you are Spin?  The Spin? From Facebook?!" followed by "Where does that name come from?"  

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The name reflects my deep family roots.  I was named after my paternal grandfather, Kenneth Owsley, who was a farmer most of his life near Connell, Washington.  He settled his family in Walla Walla, where I was born.  His father nicknamed him Spin.  My grandmother told me that the name came from grampa's football days, that he would "spin" out of tackles.  My dad recounted a conversation he had with grampa, and suggested that my Great Great Grandfather had no rhyme nor reason for the nickname, and said that it meant "Absolutely worthless!"  I like my gramma's version better!

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Whatever to origin, my entire family knows me as Spin, but when I started going to school kids made fun of my name and I asked that I not be known by it in school.  As I grew older, however, I recognized the value in connecting with my heritage, and decided long ago to go by Spin more publicly.  It's an odd name, but I find it deeply satisfying to have a connection to the investment that past generations put in so that I, and we, can have what we do today.  So I'm honored to carry on the name!