The secret origin of euphrony

It finally happened. I knew this day was coming, when my past would catch up with me, but I dreaded it. Like a fish that flops out of the water and smacks you in the face, I was hit with the question: what does euphrony mean? It was Kat who asked, brave and foolish, and I gave her a part of the answer, brushing the surface of this shallow pond that is euphrony. But the time has come for the true, secret origin of the man you know as euphrony to be revealed.

Kat can now tell you the basics. From Greek, euphrony means literally "good mind" or "true mind" (i.e. well thought or fully thought). From literature, Euphrony is also the name of a William Faulkner character in Sartoris and Flags in the Dust (actually, the Faulkner character is a woman, but Euphrony is rather gender-neutral). As to why I use this name, it has little to do with either literature or Greek origins, and is another story. A story whose time has come.

Back in the old college days, a good buddy of mine (Scott over at TheForce.net) drew a comic strip for a weekly newsletter he and I and a few others put out for our college group (the Aggies for Christ). The main character was the aptly named Jim Shorts, along with girlfriend Ella Funt and sidekick Euphroni (note the spelling). Euphroni was a go-getter, always doing and never slowing even when going 90 down the wrong side of the freeway during rush hour traffic. Euphroni died an untimely death (as did the whole comic strip) when Scott lost time and interest; but from the ashes of this memory a calling stirred in me - the internet anonymity. I did not want all this information seeking scam artists (harder to filter out in the early days) knowing who I really was and I needed a secret identity to insulate me from the prying eyes of the world. Euphroni was calling to be reborn in the form of a pseudonym, but one obstacle remained: that -i had to go. To avoid complex legal proceedings in assuming this name from Scott's character, I made him my own with a -y.

And now you know the truth. Now you can say "I know the truth". Guard this secret, for it is the secret which keeps me safe. At least I didn't feel the pull of "bat boy".

Tags: Secret Origin, TheForce.Net, Euphrony, Aggies for Christ, Pseudonym, Noir, Cheese