Reading a posting of Poppa Gator's where he mentioned how much Mudcat had meant to him when he found out that he had cancer, and how helpful it was to be anonymous, it made me think about a time in my life when I needed to be anonymous. Let me explain.

Many years ago, I was buried under the rubble of my marriage which was collapsing on my head, the pressure of trying to be a good Father to my sons while clinging to the last vestiges of trying to be a loving husband and the Executive Director of a large Museum. I had moved out of my home and taken a run down room to sleep in and had to take a second job as a night watchman at a hotel. When I took the job, and the people I worked with asked me my name, I said "Just Jerry will do." It had been so many years since I'd been "just Jerry," that I'd almost forgotten who I was. I was Jerry, a husband, Jerry a Father and Jerry the Executive Director. Those were all a part of who I was, but I no longer knew who "Just Jerry" was. So, I didn't discuss my life, or my job, or my dire straits. I just related to people as "Jerry." That was about as anonymous as I could get. (It didn't occur to me to call myself Guest.)

I think that one of the beauties of Mudcat that Poppa Gator has touched upon is that we can check our reputations at the door when we join Mudcat. We can pick a moniker, and in here at least, that's who we are. And, there's a lot to be said for that.

There was another point in my life when I spent three months on an iceberg (by choice) doing research. There were 14 of us there, and we were from all over the world, and total strangers. It was like starting over for me. I left all of my baggage behind me and could be taken for who I am, with no history to weigh me down. Again, it was much like it can be in here. I enjoy Rapaire, brucie, Joe Offer, Bobert, Khandu, Sorcha and so many friends I've made in here, and I know them for who they are now, not in the context of a lifetime of successes and failures. We've all had a generous mix of the two. The fact that Joe Offer uses his real name, as I do and Art Thieme does, and Rapaire and Khandu don't isn't the real distinction. In a way, we're all anonymous to some extent in here, even if we use our real name.

Yesterday, I met DWDitty for the first time. He lives a twenty minute drive from me, so it was long overdue. I didn't stop to think if he was DWDitty or Rich Gallagher. I just immediately enjoyed him as a person.

There's a lot of complaining on here about people posting as Guests, but there are times when even that anonymity may be good for the person. Sometimes, we just need to be taken for who we are, without a name or a label.

Jerry