Plenty of people don”t give much thought to their screen names. Most of the time it is a mixture of initials, names and numbers; perhaps an inside joke or reference to an interest.
I came up with the screen name The Diverted after months of thought. I had my interim names until I settled on it, but it took me some time. Naming my children seems to have taken less time.
Initially, the name reflect my attitude toward games. Despite all the troubles of the world – war, famine, death, hunger and disease – I could always divert my attention with a game, if only for a little while.
As I wrote a few weeks ago, they still play that role. With my wife and I spending so much time in the hospital, games proved to be a saving grace.
Not only did games divert our attention, they diverted our emotions, our worries and fears.
No, with our son born and reaching milestones everyday, our attention is focused on his achievements. This, in turn, diverts our thoughts from the worst case scenario to the present moment.
And the effect bleeds out. If any of my friends, online or real-world, are stress out, angry or depressed – without fail, I will inevitably get a call, text or message asking to help distract them.
I have become The Diverted diverting the undiverted.
I never would have thought a nickname that I chose for myself would have such deep impact on me, let alone others. It just sounded catchy, and – most importantly – was available to use.
The name has come to define me in a way I never imagined, and it is a pleasant outcome.
I have had many online monikers throughout the years, but this is the one that will stick.
Considering my enjoyable experiences as being The Diverted, I would advise everyone to put a bit of thought into any screen name. You never know how it might affect you and those around you.
