“Richard Jenkins”

Richard who? I hear you ask…  Is he a famous artist, designer, skateboarder maybe a musician? What about an explorer, pro surfer?  Let the story begin…

At the time my mum ( the maori lady 2nd from the left) was pregnant I had an aunty who was also pregnant.  Aunty Miriama, shes the maori lady on the left and is a little crazy.  The other two are my Aunty Jan and cousin Megan.  Any way…My mum had chosen a name for me. ‘Matthew’.  So what happened?

With my Aunty Miriama and my mum being pregnant at the same time, some one had to give birth first.  Guess who?  Yup!  My crazy Aunty Miriama. I now have a cousin called “Matthew”.  Yup thats right, she stole my name. What the!! who does that?  My crazy aunty, thats who.  What was my mum going to call me now?  She didnt have a back up name.  My mum had a book she used to read titled ‘Cubby Bear’.

When I came into this world, with a heave and a pop, (aparently she swore alot) my mum called me Cubby.  So until my parents had to put my name on some sort of legal document,  like, say a birth certificate,  I was called Cubby.  Not Chubby and no not Tubby.  Like cubby hole or cubby house or the latest “Telly Cubby”, that came from a very clever little five year old. So who is Richard Jenkins?…….  ME!!! Richard Lee Moana Jenkins. Thats my real name. True story………