Day 1: A is for…
Alter Ego
“My name is Anastasia Beaverhausen. Anastasia, as in Russian royalty. Beaverhausen as in where the beaver live.” ~Megan Mullally as Karen Walker in Will and Grace.
I used to love watching Will and Grace. My favorite episode, or at least the one that really struck a chord with me, was the introduction of Anastasia Beaverhausen: Karen’s alter ego. When Karen wanted to do something or go somewhere that didn’t fit in with her public persona of a New York socialite, she would become Anastasia. Or Shu Shu Fontana, her drag name. And then she would do whatever she wanted, like eating greasy tacos at Taco Time, or become the queen of a gay Halloween party, consequences be damned. After all, it wasn’t Karen, it was Anastasia (or Shu Shu). She gave herself complete, guilt free deniability.
We all have things we wish we had the courage to do. And we might even dare to do them, if no one we knew would find out it was us. This is where the beauty of the alter ego comes in. Or the pen name. Or the jet black wig in the back of the closet, metaphorically speaking, of course. This is how Stella Got Her Groove back, on a vacation far away from prying eyes of those who judge or have best interests at heart.
And it’s LIBERATING to put your truth out there, be it a dream, a goal, a thought or prayer, or just something that YOU wouldn’t normally dare to do, if someone was watching.
What would be your alter ego’s name? (You’ll meet mine later in the challenge.) What would you dare to do if you didn’t have anyone to answer to?