Werefore Art Thou Doola?

Some of you may have noticed that I've changed my name. Where once I was "Hulkster," now I am "Doola." I know this is jarring to many of you, who have known me for years as the Hulkster - and don't get me wrong, I love you all, and still think of you as all the li'l Hulkamaniacs out there, sayin' their prayers and takin' their vitamins - but the fact is, I haven't really gone by the "CredibleHulk" moniker online in many years now, and haven't even had the crediblehulk Yahoo address for even longer than that. So it was time for a change.

As to the change, "What's a Doola?" you may ask, and you'd be quite right to do so. So let's see...

Main Entry: dou·la
Pronunciation: 'dü-l&
Function: noun
Etymology: Modern Greek, female helper, maidservant, from Greek doulE female slave
: a woman experienced in childbirth who provides advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth

Well, that's not me, and I'm Doola, not Doula. So...

It's the summer of 2000, and I've just begun my career as a Papa John's pizza slinger. I'm wearing an old pair of white Chuck Taylors as my work shoes, with bright green shoelaces.

One of my new co-workers needs to get my attention, but he doesn't yet know my name. He knows me as "the new guy with the green shoelaces," so he calls out, "Hey, you, Shoelace!" Assistant Manager Toph finds this hilarious and picks up on it. Soon, to everyone in the store, I'm "Shoelace." Toph, who is world renowned for being loud and weird, starts shouting out, "Shoelace!" every time I depart on a delivery or return from one. In his loudness and weirdness, he continues shouting it, louder and faster, until after a couple of months, "Shoelace!" has become "Doola!"

Later, Toph and fellow co-worker/Toph's girlfriend Amber would become roommates and friends, and the name stuck - to the point that basically everyone I know through Toph and Amber knows me pretty much only as Doola. To the point that, on the website for Toph and Amber's upcoming wedding, I am listed as "Best Man: Doola Stokes."

And there you have it. I am Doola, hear me roar.