kbk | (no subject)

(no subject)

One of the people going on the Iceland thing emailed round. Am going to reply. But not yet.

Would it be weird... no, I know it would be weird of me, but is it forgivable, is it in fact a reasonable idea, to ask the people on this thing to call me by a different name than the one I normally use? And if I did... I would probably lie and tell them it was my usual nickname instead of explaining that I'm constructing a persona somewhat more suitable for a month of camping and conservation than my current.

I'm thinking Beth.

But if I go too far with it the whole thing could get schizophrenic, and that would be bad.

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Dude, I got away with Lara, so Beth is Totally Unweird.

You did, but you're you. You give people nicknames that stick. And you have the loudness to pull it off. And.

It's a thought, at least.

You could be a Beth. *nods*

When I was four, I made everybody call me Penny Morris (yeah, her from Fireman Sam...) for about a month.

Was she one of the little kids?

And it's bad that my first reference for Fireman Sam is currently that sgwun ep, isn't it?

She was the extremely dykey female firefighter, whose truck was called Venus.

I never noticed it at the time, but now I look back, GOOD GOD, so many of my childhood idols were totally gay - Penny Morris from Fireman Sam, George from the Famous Five...

I'd completely forgotten about her.

George is the classic dykey kid's character, isn't she? But Anne was so timid and girly and sensible and not at all the sort of character to particularly appeal to any girl reading those sorts of books. Of course, there's the difference in era to remember, but... yeah.

My dad's younger brother is 'Jim' to everyone who met him from the age of about 20 onwards, including his wife. I've always called him Uncle Jim, even though my dad still slips up and calls him Howard quite often.

I also know a ~~Reg~~ Andy.

I think name-changing can be a very liberating thing and most people are willing to accept it.

I have a great-uncle Sam whose "Sunday name" is Horace, which confused me horribly up until quite recently.

Names build so many associations, I think, and most of the time it's a good way to stay grounded, but when you're being grounded to a place you don't want to be...

I've spent the past four years going by two different names--one at university, one everywhere else--and while I usually have my moments of Angst and WTF-ness, I've managed with a fairly whole personality that is not, in fact, schizophrenic.

Also, I'm planning on using a third name when I go to grad school, just for curiosity's sake.

Cool. *makes approving (but hopefully not patronising) noises*

I have only been completely Jude since starting At Andrews, and it's good in separating out the self I understand myself to be from that which people knowing me as a kid, to whom I'm Jenni (shudders...), believe me to be.

People always think that the name they first meet you as is the one that suits you best. I have friends who met me first when I was Gilbert (aged about 11) still deny that any other name suits me as well.

I think it's all to the good, and I think you'll make a fab Beth.

You're right about the first name thing - I can't think of you as anything other than Jude, though I now have a wonderful picture of young Gilbert you.

Ho-hum. Will be fun.

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