I’m guessing You are wondering – DR – why I change all the names.
It’s not what You think.
It’s Not because “I am afraid of being sued” or I “don’t wanna embarrass anyone” or I’m “talking out of school” – even though I can ‘see’ Why You might believe this.
I’m doing it because I am removing TECH’s barriers to hearing what I’m saying.
If A Person I am Connected to IRL reads this Story – and I have just enough details for My Story to resonate in Their Own SB – then I’ve accomplished My mission: Plant a Seed, protect My Sources AKA “don’t embarrass anybody,” and remove all the obstacles that My Connections have with Their IRL data about Me, Conner Romesco, in Their Own mental Files – the message I’m trying to convey in My Story right now is more… effective. Clearer. More easily digestible. Understandable. And – added bonus – there’s No requirement that You, DR, be Connected with Me IRL.
When I say, “My Life is an Open Book” I literally mean it.
But I didn’t “make all this up.” My SB is already designed to do this in this way, because of competing objectives – PASSION with My desire to Connect & develop relationships with other Human Beings – and TECH with My desire to not give Anybody enough Rope to Hang Myself with. These aren’t balls that are easily juggled, but – and this is a big butt – it Is possible. Anything is.
My SB’s procedure for this is innate, is My guess. I recall – back “in the olden days” – when I was just a Pup, wanting My Bestie’s advice.
I started the bid like this:
“I have this Friend…”
Why did I do that? Because I didn’t want My Buddy to be distracted by his firsthand data about “Who Conner is” in relation to Himself. I wanted his unvarnished truthful advice, without “softening the blow” or “trying to make Me feel better” or “not hurt My feelings.”
I wanted the Truth. And… “The Truth Hurts.”
In Hindsight now – after TECH now has a bunch more data in My mental Files – I realize that what I was asking for wasn’t technically ‘the Truth’ – there’s always multiple Truths – what I was asking for was Xavier’s “Unique Perspective.” I was asking for Him to give Me ‘His take’ on a situation that I, personally, was facing in that moment. This is what “having empathy” means to Me, personally: “What would You do, if You were in this exact situation that I am in, right now this moment?” Xavier being able to “step into My shoes” and tell Me, “here’s what I would do, if this were Me and this was My situation/problem/issue to deal with” is the Money Shot.
All these years later? Xavier & I remain Connected IRL. We’ve always Prioritized Our (His & Mines, together) Relationship. Have We pi$$ed Each Other off along the way? Sure. Have We violated Each Other’s personal boundaries every so often? Yup. “Sh#t Happens.”
But We also made it a point to reConnect after the bumps. We made it a Priority to “communicate” about it. To share Our Own individual perspectives… to find any common ground with which to stand on and move forward. It’s like a sinkhole, opening up on the road ahead. Am I gonna just drive right into the sinkhole? Maybe – if I am on Auto-Pilot at the time.
Or… I can stop. Get outta My car. Check in with Jimmy to make sure He’s okay… and figure out, with Jimmy’s help, how We are gonna keep going. How are we gonna keep moving forward down this road.
“I am the Boss of Me.”
. . .
Conner’s Comments: One more thing, DR. When I use Someone’s “IRL Name” – i.e. if My Story references Cesar Milan or Steve Jobs or Alicia Moore or Ariana Grande or Pete Davidson or Mark Ruffalo or Owen Wilson or Robin Williams or Jesus Christ Himself – it’s because I need You to understand the Story I’m telling right now using all the existing data in Your Own SB. My Story is intended to 1) add to My Own data around this specific Person and 2) resonate for You – so You can ‘get’ what I’m talking about, in Your Own SB. Win-Win.