pseudonyms

my senior year in college i started looking for a job, and in the search process i would get discouraged occasionally, as all people looking for jobs do.  you spend all that time trying to make yourself seem fabulous and perfect for whatever job you're applying for, and it can get frustrating when no one wants to hire you (yet).  my roommate and i created an alter ego for myself: spare cogsdon.  spare cogsdon was unmarketable, not me.  it did wonders for me to be able to blame things on spare cogsdon.  there is probably some psychology term for what i was doing.  if you know what it is - and if it means i have some deep-seated emotional issues - please don't tell me.

you know my friend willis, of blog notoriety?  well, his name isn't ACTUALLY willis, of course...but when i tell potentially embarrassing stories about him, i've started referring to him by this name.  you will all be happy to know willis has embraced the pseudonym willis.  he initially was not amused by this pseudonym and wanted a cooler name, but i'd already chosen willis and there was no going back.  "the name willis is too black.  i don't want it."  "you lose.  it's going to stick.  so there."  and oh, has it stuck.

on thursday, friends, we reached a milestone: WILLIS REFERRED TO HIMSELF AS WILLIS OUT LOUD.  willis and i have decided that if (excuse me: WHEN) he does extremely flamboyant things, he can blame it on willis, much as i blamed my unmarketability on spare cogsdon.  an alter ego!  it's like he's a superhero.  SUPER WILLIS!