Why Did You Choose That Username And/Or That Avatar (Or No Avatar At All)?

[anni]

I like this thread so much, and wanted to pop back in and say Thanks to everyone who has listed their stories.

Popeye was SO my hero, too, even though I was a girl. It used to worry me that I just hated spinach because then maybe I couldn't grow up to beat Bluto. I did anyway.

 

[rjtransient]

James B - I like your attitude. As for scarred hands, um, yeah. I started wearing fingerless gloves for rock climbing/mountain biking/etc outdoors, and they help.

So using a red light during night time can protect one's ability to go back to sleep. I always read with a red light before falling asleep.

Hi Athena, where did you buy the red reading lamp? Creative solution. I've been meaning to buy another one of those clip-on lights from Chapters, but they never seem to last long.

In the interest of staying on topic, my username comes from a phrase I stole from Future Shock while I was living of no fixed address for a few years. I still have the book.

"Transience is the new 'temporariness' in everyday life. It results in a mood, a feeling of impermanence. . . . In this grand sense, transience has always been a part of life. But today the feeling of impermanence is more acute and intimate. Thus Edward Albee's character, Jerry, in The Zoo Story, characterizes himself as a 'permanent transient.' And critic Harold Clurman, commenting on Albee, writes: 'None of us occupy abodes of safety--true homes. We are all the same 'people in all the rooming houses everywhere,' desperately and savagely trying to effect soul-satisfying connections with our neighbors.'"

In other words, you can't go home again.

 

[AthenaErdmann]

... I HATE it when people still use my pre-marriage name ... It even bugs me that people still send me emails with the profile name set as my previous surname name. I haven't made an issue about it but it really bugs me and sometimes I have to stop myself from asking them to change it.

I don't know the people or circumstances involved, but I found myself wondering: why are you stopping yourself? I understand very well if you don't want to write a request when you are feeling angry or frustrated, but maybe you could write a "stock request" when you are feeling calm, and work at it until the wording feels non-accusing and unambiguous, and then use that text whenever the need arises. And why not use the forum as a sounding board, if a message like that feels tough to write?

You have the right to be called by your own name, and asking for that in a civilized manner does not in any way make you "demanding" or "difficult". You may get a few "ohmygod, how do I do that in [software X]?" responses, and they may take some of your time and energy, but no decent people should react negatively to the fact that you want them to use your own name. And if they have their own issues, and those happen to get triggered by your nice request, then that is not your fault.

... my avatar is that I wish I was like Tinkerbell......having fun, making dreams come true, be able to help people and be filled with her innocence.

You are helping people here and thus making dreams come true. I find my mood always improves when I see that Tinkerbell smile in a thread.

I am so very happy that you and Anthony choose to keep up and lead this forum - thank you both!

Athena

 

[AthenaErdmann]

Hi Pebs here, I chose Pebbels as my username because i like it ... as a child i loved watching The Flintstones lol so i thought for the avatar here i would go with a pic of Pebbels from that show, she is sooooo cute and was an adorable character, i loveeeeeeee babies and pebs my cat was my baby so it all ties in i think. :)

:smile: Every time I see your avatar in a thread, I smile and feel like hugging someone - Pebbels really is very cute, and babies are so huggable. I liked the Flintstones when I was a kid. My sisters and I did not get to watch much TV, but the Flintstones was one show we were allowed to watch sometimes.

Here are some (((hugs))), if you want them. Thanks for making me smile.

Athena

 

[EmptyEyes]

I know the feeling. I can't stand looking into my eyes. Its frightening.

It really is scary looking into your eyes sometimes. I can look into other people's eyes and see happiness but in mine its dull.

 

[GodSeeker]

Good question!!

I chose "GodSeeker" because that's my purpose in this life. I've got no other choice.

The avatar represents a member of the "sea people". Ancient sailors who made incursions on Egypt and Greece in the 13rd century BC. I chose it because I believe I am a descedent of those people (Want a proof? I like the sea :))

 

[pebbels]

of course i'll take the hugs :smile: thank you, i am happy to know that my avatar makes you smile.

Hugs back Athena:Hug_emoticon:

 

[Tiger Kitten]

The tiger part of the name is because that's what I hope to become. A tiger can stand up for itself. A tiger can be free to do what it wants. A tiger knows what's expected of it and does tiger things. (whatever they may be.) Besides that tigers are beautiful and majestic and I like them. They also can blend in and be invisible. Sometimes I need to hide and just watch. Tigers blend in well in the jungle you can only really see them when they move. I can fake my way into seeming to fit in just about anywhere until I move wrong.

The kitten part is because even tigers need help sometimes. Kittens have their whole lives ahead of them. They see things as new and need to be taught some things. Other things are instinctual. I still need to be taught a lot... even if it is mostly myself doing the teaching. Kittens need to be protected, and as hard as it is to admit sometimes so do I. I have a really bad habit of making decisions that I know are going to hurt and just not caring if I do get hurt again. It's what I am used to. Each time I break out of the pattern it seems to get a bit easier to take a little better care of myself.

Someday I will stalk the jungle unafraid and be able to protect myself. Someday I will be the tiger. Someday I will grow up.

The avatar is a blue tiger... I was feeling really down when I went hunting for an avatar.

Tiger

 

[AthenaErdmann]

Because I have nothing to hide... and want to demonstrate to others that they should strive for such a self esteem to deal with PTSD and life. Lead by example is what I was always taught.

I was somewhat intimidated by your avatar when I first arrived. It is hard to judge if there is aggression for the sake of aggression (borderline to bullying) in that picture, and the picture may come across as arrogant, too. As my main abuser was male, aggressive and arrogant, I needed to learn more about you to shake that transference. Now I feel safe every time I see your avatar - it's a little like seeing a police car cruising calmly in our neighborhood or a pair of security guards doing their routine rounds at the mall. It signals that things are normal and under control.

And I agree with Ayesha - you lead well.

 

[AthenaErdmann]

... One day Steve Martin came on a television program I was watching and he sang the funniest little silly song called "Jubilation." At that time, I'd not been able to smile or laugh for a few weeks due to CPTSD problems, and I actually died out laughing, because the song was so silly and stupid! I decided right then and there that I'd adopt that name for myself... Everytime I log in to the forum, I smile a little bit when I think about silly Steve Martin playing his banjo singing that goofy "Jubilation" song!

Guess what - I found a video with an interview and the song on YouTube (the title is "Steve Martin Jubilation Day Jools Holland Nov 2009"), and now I will be smiling every time I see your user name.

THANKS! for that - and (((hugs))), if that feels safe.

Athena

 

[AthenaErdmann]

My name really is Annie, but I chose it because it was also my grgrandmother's name. She was just a woman of massive dignity and strength, and if I can somehow manage to live like I feel she might have expected me to, perhaps I'll end up leaving something or other worthwhile in the end.

This is a bit uncanny - there are legends of my paternal great-great-grandmother and my maternal great-grandmother in our family, which have helped me to stand my mother and her mother better. Strong female role models *are* important for me, too, even though I have grown up on a diet strongly flavored by Tom Sawyer, David Copperfield, Captain Nemo, Sherlock Holmes, Jupiter Jones et co.

The avatar is from an absolutely perfect moment one gets when a whole bunch of stuff comes together. It's hard to explain and lengthy, plus probably really boring if you're not into dressage so I won't try.

Oh please! (here you can, if you have seen the movie, imagine Roger Rabbit doing his most pleading "p-p-prleeease" routine) Do tell, if you are up to it time- and otherwise. Those who find dressage boring know how to scroll down, don't they? (I always loved reading horse books and patting horses when I got a chance. I wanted to ride as soon as I was big enough, but I had to give it up after my first 10 lessons - too allergic).

The ID photo is a partial photo of one of my mosaics of some sunflowers. It's one I couldn't bring myself to sell because I got attached for some reason. It's a contained and happy work, and a better reminder of who I should be than that unreliable piece of glass over the sink in the bathroom.

It is beautiful. I won't comment on mirrors - that deserves a thread of its own, and is frankly too scary at the moment.

Thanks for sharing, I have really enjoyed this thread, too!

Athena

 

[AthenaErdmann]

Off Topic: Answer To Question About Red Light For Evening Reading

This is off topic, but as you asked, and the info can be useful also to others:

Hi Athena, where did you buy the red reading lamp? Creative solution. I've been meaning to buy another one of those clip-on lights from Chapters, but they never seem to last long.

We used to just change the light bulb of an ordinary reading light to a red one (or an orange one), and the strange thing is that the two light bulbs (one red and one orange) that I bought like 15 or 20 years ago still work (and I have absolutely no idea where I bought colored lightbulbs in 199X). But those lamps are in the closet now, because we discovered a more portable system: Led Head Lamps - those that strap round the head, and the lamp part sits on your forehead. A lamp like that can be used also to go to the toilet during the night, or if one needs to make a cup of herbal tea or warm milk to get back to sleep.

I broke my first reading head lamp by dropping it too many times, and got a new one less than a year ago from Clas Ohlson: it looks a lot like a Varta model that their UK website presents under the product menu "electrical - torches/head lamps". The important thing is to get one that has also the red light (most head lamps are white light only).

We use rechargeable batteries for these, as buying batteries for four such lamps would get expensive fast.

Hope this helps!

Athena