I am such an idiot!!!!!!!!!

[Mizuwolf]

So, I had the perfect opportunity to change the name I go by at work to something completely neutral without even outing myself but my brain went blank when I was trying to think of a name and the chance slipped right by. My boss came up to me and asked if I'd ever been given a name tag. He's kinda new, so it was a pretty reasonable assumption considering that I don't ever wear the one I have. Anyway, I told him that I did have one but that wearing it gives me anxiety so I don't. That's actually totally true, for some reason the idea of a bunch of strangers knowing my name is anxiety inducing enough to keep me up at night, so I stopped wearing my name tag about a month after I got my job. He was super understanding and asked if it would be better if I could just use a different name on the name tag and I said yes. And then my brain froze up instead of giving me a name. So now the name tag I'm wearing has my middle name instead of my first name. It's actually not so bad, but I'd definitely like a neutral name for it better.

[LeChat]

Would you still be able to tell your co-workers the name you'd prefer to be called, something like, "I know my name tag says this, but I'd prefer to be called_____. Thanks?"

[SithLord]

Or would you be able to go and ask your boss for a different name change? Or make your own nametag to replace it? 

 

Have you ever thought of what name you'd like to go by?  I know Ash Hardell regrets using Ash since their name used to be Ashley but having something so similar makes people think they can still use Ashley sometimes.  

What kind of neutral name are you thinking? 

[Mizuwolf]

@InquisitivePhilosopher I probably could do that, but it seems like too much of a hassle for something like this. My middle name is actually pretty cool, I was just kinda disappointed that I had a brain fart at the worst time, you know?

 

@SithGirl I've thought a little about what name is like, but I haven't really come up with anything that I think I'd want to love with forever. I'd say that's probably why I couldn't come up with anything on the the spot in the first place: my brain ran through every name I've ever considered and couldn't settle for just one.

 

For the time being I'll probably just see how it feels to go by my middle name. If it turns out I like it, I may keep it that way. If not, I can just say that even part of my legal name gives me anxiety and ask to change it.

[LeChat]

Oh, okay. I was kind of worried, from your post, that it still might give you dysphoria.

 

I understand what that's like. It wasn't a big deal when I'd told my friends I'd preferred to be called by a nickname; they used it.

[Mizuwolf]

@InquisitivePhilosopher Thanks for the concern. 😄 I don't *think* that it'll give me dysphoria (and it'll be way less than my given name if it does) but I guess I ought to start preparing a different option just in case it does. My biggest problem is that I already know a lot of people with neutral names and I don't want to be a name thief, y'know? 😝