Passports!

So about (pronounced a-boot for my non-Canadian speaking nephews!) 2 weeks ago I applied for my passport. Small problem. My given name is not the same as the name I've gone by for, well, forever. I used my given name for approximately 3 minutes, then became a nickname of such. (Catholic religion, have to have a saint's name.....) Since then, everything I've ever put my name on has been my nickname. Driver's licence, marriage licence, social security card, all employment stuff... everything! So when I go to get my passport there seems to be a problem. Everything that has my picture on it to prove who I really am says my nickname. My birth certificate says my given name. So I ask what to do.
I can either 1. Change my name legally (after 50 yrs, just putting my preferred version has worked so far, why go all legal now?) or 2. Write a letter of explanation as to why I have 2 different names.
It's not like my real name is Rodney and I want to be called Amelia or anything, the preferred is a common variation or nickname of the given. Are you confused yet?
So I wrote my letter of explanation to The Nice Folks At The Passport Application Place (who all know me btw as I've lived in this town pretty much my whole life)stating that the difference between the given name and the preferred name was pretty much because well, I preferred the preferred name. I gave documents such as social security info, marriage licence info and driver's licence info to "prove" that I was who I said I was. Obviously I'm who I say I am, I have my gorgeous driver's licence pic to prove it. However, who I was born as is pretty much a crap shoot, but apparently The Nice Folks At The Passport Application Place Who All Know Me Anyway believed that I was actually born and am who I claim to be because my passport application went through without a hitch and was issued in the name I prefer. Go figure! Guess you can say you are whoever you want to say you are and that's all there is to it.
So, if you've ever spent hundreds of dollars to change your name legally, you've wasted your money. All you have to do is tell the appropriate people who you want to be and why and it's all good!

And now, my driver's license has a new set of letters on it! Yes! I finally got my CY endorsement. (I'm legal to ride my motorcycle). No more looking over my shoulder when I ride! And I'm riding in my preferred name, not my given name!

yay!!