The how of who
Obscure blogging name: check
Anonymous googlemail account: check
Avoidance of real names of human beings: check
Careful side-stepping of personal details: check
Pseudonyms for significant pets: no, wait ... I can't do that to them
My pets' names are not up for negotiation it would appear.
I'm sure there are others who share their names, but probably not in that particular combination. If I am to be 'discovered' it would be by someone who has knowledge of my animals. Of course I like to think that they are visually so striking that anyone would recognise them instantly from the photos ...
So - having gone to considerable efforts to fudge and erase as many links with my offline identity as possible ... what stops me from using different names for a dog and two cats?
I would like to argue that this is the respectful thing to do for my pets, but I do realise that they have no concept of noun. 'Ruby' simply means "give me your attention, make eye contact with me". It means walks and ends of custard creams and coming back incase there is a custard cream on offer.
The fact that my dog cannot read is looming before me now. I am faced with the suspicion that I cannot change their names because those names represent something too precious to be altered. Titles that were at first arbitrary have become identity. "Ruby" means love, safety, companionship, loyalty, comedy, trust, independence and joy at the simplest pleasures. It is the comfort of another life breathing in the dark of night, and the freedom to enjoy being, without judgement or question of motivations. It is the understanding that running is better than walking only because it is more fun. It is the honesty to express feeling without censorship - irrespective of time, place or company.
No wonder I can't find another word for all that ...
Anonymous googlemail account: check
Avoidance of real names of human beings: check
Careful side-stepping of personal details: check
Pseudonyms for significant pets: no, wait ... I can't do that to them
My pets' names are not up for negotiation it would appear.
I'm sure there are others who share their names, but probably not in that particular combination. If I am to be 'discovered' it would be by someone who has knowledge of my animals. Of course I like to think that they are visually so striking that anyone would recognise them instantly from the photos ...
So - having gone to considerable efforts to fudge and erase as many links with my offline identity as possible ... what stops me from using different names for a dog and two cats?
I would like to argue that this is the respectful thing to do for my pets, but I do realise that they have no concept of noun. 'Ruby' simply means "give me your attention, make eye contact with me". It means walks and ends of custard creams and coming back incase there is a custard cream on offer.
The fact that my dog cannot read is looming before me now. I am faced with the suspicion that I cannot change their names because those names represent something too precious to be altered. Titles that were at first arbitrary have become identity. "Ruby" means love, safety, companionship, loyalty, comedy, trust, independence and joy at the simplest pleasures. It is the comfort of another life breathing in the dark of night, and the freedom to enjoy being, without judgement or question of motivations. It is the understanding that running is better than walking only because it is more fun. It is the honesty to express feeling without censorship - irrespective of time, place or company.
No wonder I can't find another word for all that ...
posted by Stray at 12:38 AM
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3 Comments:
amen sister amen:0)
D-W
I sympathise with this. I have a different blog name from the name I am normally known by but I just couldn't give my cat a false name. However his own name is so very distinctive that I am reluctant to use it. So I just say "the cat". :-)
See, now I am trying to imagine what beautiful and original name you have given your feline friend :)
I checked back and realised that for the first couple of weeks I did manage to stick to "dog" and "cat". Then I posted the doggopotamus picture and I just had to call Ruby by her real name.
In fact, I've noticed that pattern, all be it at a more respectful pace, in a few other blogs I read - pets are without name for a while but slowly reveal their true identity. Unless of course their owners have managed what we couldn't, and given them an alias!
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