So much lies in a name.
For those who know me in real life, very few know my ACTUAL legal (on my birth certificate) REAL name. Most know me by my nickname - because that is what I have been called my entire life, even by my parents! I think I've heard my mother call me by my legal name a handful of times. My father? I can't ever remember him calling me anything but my nickname - or a derivative of that nickname!
I have very little association with my legal name. The only time I hear it is when the doctor is calling me into his office, or the cop is pulling me over for a speeding ticket. shhhhhhhh. It was a setup, I tell you!! A speed trap! 🤣
But when someone calls me by nickname, mmmmmm I melt. 😍 I HATE my legal name - and I LOVE my nickname. When someone calls me by my legal name, I recognize immediately that they don't truly know me. They only know me by a document on a paper. But when they say my nickname - I immediately beam! They know who I am... they have heard my name from my own lips. They are already past the outer wall.
But this post isn't about my legal name, and not even my nickname. This post is about my HIVE NAME. When I was first born into our blockchain in 2016, I wanted to be clever. I wanted to be "patriotic" and wear the blockchain's name proudly emblazoned in my own. I was also writing a YA fantasy, where the heroine could manipulate energy with her mind, and enter a new world through her dreams drEEms. It seemed like my name was already destined to be matched with the blockchain!
🧚♂️DREEMSTEEM, IT IS!🧚♂️
And oh how I loved that name.
and..... oh how I love it NOW!
Sorry for all of you purists who hate anything that still bears the memory of the legacy chain! lol But this is who I became. And as I say for anyone who cares to hear - I'm not ashamed of my beginnings, and I'm proud of my battle scars.
To me? The ending of my Hive name actually shows that I was here from the very beginning! I was here when it was new, and everyone was starry-eyed and hopeful and wandering around like brand new baby does! Unsure of our steps, but energetic and bouncy! (well, I was bouncy. lol)
As time went on, people began to drop the "steem" in my name, just for ease. I started to hear Dreem or Dreemie, and I fell in love with both of those! One person even calls me the Original Dreemer. hehehe and I love that even, even, even more!!! Because it is not just a name - it's who I am.
I am EXTREMELY dreemy. Because just like the character in my YA fantasy, I fall deep into that dreem world, and pull others into it with me - to plan and hope and DREEM. It's all about refusing to be held back by the limitations around us, and simply using the tools at our disposal to create a new reality and taking steps out in faith.
If I could change my name, would I?
Not for all the marshmallows in the whole wide sea!
Maybe some people think it sucks.. lol, but I happen to be quite attached to its dreeminess! Thank you very much hehehe
It has become part of my identity, my vision, our project DreemPort, our teem Dreem Teem and a lifestyle!
I love how this name that was chosen specifically for one reason, and then another - became such a special part of my life that I can't even imagine living without. It's now tied to a million reasons that touch my heart!
Now, when I hear someone call me "dreem" or "dreemie"... I know EXACTLY how they know me! It's because they know me ONLINE FIRST. And it indicates that they are past the outerwall, past the second line of defenses and even closer to my heart! It's my special ONLINE identity that has trickled into my offline life and blossomed into my professional life.
Since I wrote my first book on-chain, I kept my author name as "dreemsteem"! And since I've talked about it - I might as well do the whole "look at my baby - i'm so proud of it" dance. hehehe I'm showing and glowing! Below is the first book - Fireflies to the left, and the second book Fireflies:Pupa to the right. The third book has been halfway completed for way too long, but I blame my other new baby DreemPort for taking up all the attention! You know how little baby sisters can be!!! hehehe Feel free to click on them... and IF YOU HAVE ALREADY READ IT AND ENJOYED IT - go ahead and leave a review??? If you didn't love it.... shhhhhhhhhh. hahahahahaha
CLICK ON THE IMAGES FOR AMAZON LINKS
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This post was my entry into the #Weekendengagement community, hosted by @galenkp! If you're looking for something to write about this week- go check out HIS POST here for some interesting prompts and a fun community to engage with!
As you can tell from the post - I answered this topic:
Name change
Are you unhappy with your Hive username? If so, explain why, what made you initially choose it and what you would change it to if you were able make a change. Write a post of at least 300 words and use images you took yourself is possible.
But head to his post to find 5 more to choose from!!! Happy Saturday!
All FIREFLIES images were created by @dutybound for me as a special gift - please only use with permission!
gifs from giphy.com
Marshmallow sea - created by me, with Midjourney
Birth certificate - created by me, with Midjourney