Been thinking a bit about “real names” vs. handles. Binsk has been my “real name” for the longest stretch in my life, starting with a nickname my dad gave me when I was eight and the one he used for the rest of his life. I started using it as an internet handle 30+ years ago, and usually try to snag it anywhere I land.

As for my real/legal name, for some reason my parents called me by my middle name, leaving me trying to navigate forms as an First Initial, Middle Name person in a First Name, Middle Initial world. Add to the fact that childhood bullying over it made it distasteful, as soon as I left for undergrad, I made the switch. However, I can attest that my “real” first name never really feels like it fits, and I won’t respond to my middle name.

So, this is me. It’s not my legal name, but it’s the name I’ve chosen to keep.