Allie K... "What's your middle name, Private?!?!"

While doing our best to avoid Hurricane Irma my family and I found refuge at Teen Valley Ranch, a Christian retreat center near Boone, North Carolina. That's where I met Allie K. He was there with his family enjoying a weekend of relaxation in the mountains.

Like so many others, I was surprised to meet a man named "Allie", a name traditionally reserved for females.

Allie was born in Endicott, NY but grew up in North Carolina. Allie is a detention supervisor at a jail. And although he has worked in corrections for 34 years, he always wanted to be a teacher. Allie loves to read, write and travel. As a hobby he writes Christian devotionals.

As a young man Allie joined the United States Army and served in the Military Police. During that time he was selected for a special duty at Westpoint, primarily because of his unique name. The Army wanted two MP's sent for this duty, one male and one female. As you may have guessed, Allie was selected because they thought he was a girl!

Another interesting aspect of Allie's name is his middle name, "K". Yup, that's it, just the letter K!

This middle name has provided some additional challenges for Allie. When his drill sergeant asked, "What's your middle name, Private?!?!", he did not find it humorous or believable when Allie explained that it was simply the letter K.

This little letter "K" has also "lifted a few eyebrows" and has thrown some "red flags" in regard to legal documents, banking and passports.

Allie is a Celtic baby name that means noble, kind and handsome; all words that help to describe this gentleman.

It was my extreme pleasure to meet Allie, share a meal, and learn more about an amazing man with a special name.

Welcome to Uber Namez!