Just wondering...
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 2,459
Just wondering...
It appears that some people on here are known by their real names even though they have an avatar name. For example, Raider is Pam.
How does that happen?
My real name is Arthur Friendstein
Not!
How does that happen?
My real name is Arthur Friendstein
Not!
I so value the opportunity to share unconditionally and with absolute privacy that I am cautious not to even sign my name on PMs (which is where most people share theirs). I'm afraid that my friends on here might slip and identify me in a post.
I've had moments in which I've taken a sentence out of a post which gives just a little bit too much detail, in case friends from the program in-real-life would recognize the post and know who I am.
Very protective of my anonymity. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I work in the political arena, so I have real reasons to remain private. I am not public with most of the people in my professional life about being in recovery, nor did they know I was struggling with alcohol when I was.
That's the obvious reason. But I notice that I have been hyper-private in other stages of my life as well, when I didn't have concrete work reasons to be. I wonder if that is tied into some of the aspects of me that needs healing. Always moving, always private, always self-protecting and making sure that I am never fully known.
One thing that I'm learning right now, in my public/private split through my involvement with AA here in my little community, is that people can't love you if they don't know you. That "privacy" promotes isolation. That I can't expect support from people if they don't know any of my problems...
So, when the day comes that I DO post my name, you'll all know that it is a stunning breakthrough for me!! It will mean I've decided to be fully myself, and let people know me.
It is actually sweaty palm scary for me - both online and in real life... not a small thing...
I've had moments in which I've taken a sentence out of a post which gives just a little bit too much detail, in case friends from the program in-real-life would recognize the post and know who I am.
Very protective of my anonymity. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I work in the political arena, so I have real reasons to remain private. I am not public with most of the people in my professional life about being in recovery, nor did they know I was struggling with alcohol when I was.
That's the obvious reason. But I notice that I have been hyper-private in other stages of my life as well, when I didn't have concrete work reasons to be. I wonder if that is tied into some of the aspects of me that needs healing. Always moving, always private, always self-protecting and making sure that I am never fully known.
One thing that I'm learning right now, in my public/private split through my involvement with AA here in my little community, is that people can't love you if they don't know you. That "privacy" promotes isolation. That I can't expect support from people if they don't know any of my problems...
So, when the day comes that I DO post my name, you'll all know that it is a stunning breakthrough for me!! It will mean I've decided to be fully myself, and let people know me.
It is actually sweaty palm scary for me - both online and in real life... not a small thing...
I so value the opportunity to share unconditionally and with absolute privacy...
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)