It was a long time ago. I used to hitchhike a lot through far-flung and sparsely populated rural areas. You do a lot of walking and not much riding in this case, and after a few days of walking around in the middle of nowhere you can get a little sick of yourself. On one occasion I was walking along a state highway and came across a strange piece of litter: a fragment of a chrome-plated license plate frame about four inches long, bearing the words "ASK ME". I thought it was a nice token so I put it in my pocket.
     Somewhat later I attended a small party. I knew most but not all of the people there. One of the strangers to me was an attractive young woman with many meritorious anatomical features. I was talking to a friend of mine when the woman in question walked past, and I silently turned and handed her the ASK ME token. She read it and wandered off, then returned later with many entertaining questions.

     I used to introduce myself as Tim to people I thought I might not like. I figured that I could always tell them my actual name if they turned out to be more pleasant people than they at first seemed. Also if they were calling to me by the wrong name I wouldn't feel bad about ignoring them- I'd assume they were speaking to someone else. Also I thought that if I became afflicted with amnesia I'd still know my friends by the fact that they knew my name- until I realized that I would have forgotten my own name as well as my method. I might well have wound up thinking that I *was* named Tim and had a bunch of assholes for friends. So I quit doing that.

     On one occasion I was visiting some friends in the country and they had a female houseguest whom I'd not yet met. I said to her "Hello my name is Andy and I am yours to do with as you please," which upon reflection is probably not particularly novel, but it worked out well as it turned out that what pleased her pleased me as well.

     I guess this doesn't constitute proof but whatthehell. It will have to do until and unless I can secure a photo of a novel introduction. Till then.

     By the way, Hello! I am called Andy! I have too many books- would you perhaps like a novel?