Today is World Turtle Day, and that is totally magic. I celebrated by deleting my Skype account, changing my Minecraft username, and finally giving up on the ghost that is my old email address. Why? Because they all used the same username: Robiturtle.
No more turtles in my username! It might seem backwards, but I thought this would be a great way to honor my favorite animal. Years ago, I started using the ID robiturtle for a few sites. I later came to find that someone else also used that very specific handle on some other sites, but until much later, that name was a talisman of mine.
It was a way of identifying myself online in such a way that did not use “Robert” or “Stark” in any way. Robi was even kind of lost in the mix, because people would latch on to turtle, and just call me that. It was an awesome username.
But that name wasn’t to honor turtles and all their awesomeness. Instead, it was a mask to hide a name I hated, an identity I was trying to escape. Through the last six months or so, it has come to not feel like myself any more. I still love turtles, but I don’t have to pretend to be somebody else. I don’t need it any more, and I can finally celebrate in my own way, including my lil’ racer! It was my first tattoo. Take a look:
Image: Rory Bristol. My first tattoo: a tiny little turtle with a “13” on the shell.
Today is a good day. I love where my life is right now. Huzzah for getting over a decade-long self-imposed barrier. I can’t wait to talk to my therapist about it. I bet she’ll be pumped.
Happy World Turtle Day, bitches. And love goes out to Tortoises, who don’t get their own day, even though they are fucking fabulous critters!