I couldn't agree more! As a "retired" graphic designer, one thing I learned over the years, was that my first idea was usually my best and most creative idea (all the subsequent ones were just to give the client choices, but they usually picked the one I came up with first). However, I just used my first name as my trailname for the first several months I was letterboxing, and a store bought stamp (didn't know better). But when I finally had an epiphany, I realized my true trailname, carved and stamp and have been happy with it ever since! My husband and I were driving to West Point one afternoon and I was telling him about the fun I had had letterboxing the day before in a swampy area of Connecticut. I was driving my Jeep down dirt roads through low areas with standing water and water was splashing over my windshield. It was such fun and I was laughing out loud. Then & there my trailname was born! Happy 2006!
Puddle Splasher
----- Original Message -----
From: Team Randalstik
To: letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 1/1/2006 11:38:01 AM
Subject: Re: [LbNA] Good Trail Names (was Re: Good Trolls)
Trail names are funny. I wonder if a lot of us chose our trail names "in the
moment"? When we found out about letterboxing or right before going out to
get our first letterbox, not knowing how much our trail names were going to
identify us within this fantastic hobby and community.
I have two kids (4 and 5 at that time). My wife found out about letterboxing
and wanted stamps for them. I couldn't care less about letterboxing at that
time, but I agreed to make stamps for their new discovery. Off the cuff I
asked what they wanted their stamps to be. They were "at-the-moment" images
and names (Flying Spider and Wave). This is what they were "into" at the
time. Than I got COMPLETELY addicted to letterboxing and had to have a trail
name and I was already too involved to sit and think out the trail name
because we were going AGAIN the next day. So I came up with an
"at-the-moment" trail name, SAHD, which is an acronym for Stay-at-Home-Dad.
Well the deeper I got into this hobby, I found I needed another trail name
for our family and that too was "at-the-moment," Team Randalstik, the name
of our cat. We still have all our names even though we have matured and I
still love them! And even if I stop being a SAHD, I am proud to have been
one and want that "Badge" forever, at least in the letterboxing community.
My point? Could these in-the-moment names be more accurate and succinct at
describing us than if we thought about it too much? Gut instincts . . . raw
. . . this is me . . . even if I change. I'm a graphic designer by trade and
logos are one of the HARDEST things to do and most time consuming because we
all fuss over them too much. Designers should take a cue from letterboxing
trail names.
I love people's instinctive, raw, trail names!
Team Randalstik
on 12/30/05 9:44 PM, Rick in Boca at rick_in_boca@bigfoot.com wrote:
I have been thinking of changing my trail name, too, since I no
longer live in Boca. When CPA Scott had a similar identity crisis, I
was supportive but he decided to stick with his original chosen
moniker and so I did too. But it is more and more on my mind lately.
My favorite trail names now are "oldhounder", "1101010" (I keep
trying to convert it from binary to decimal in my head),
and "Hikers 'n' Hounds" (remember the magazine in Four Weddings and a
Funeral - Horses and Hounds). Although Rick in Boca still has a
certain "Amanda from Seattle" sound to it, one should probably steer
clear of geography-oriented names.
"TrailTroll" is not too far off from "MartianMaggott" in terms of
uniqueness, and puts me in the mind of a mischeivous troll on the
trails, which is just fine - even with the innerweb connotations.
Uniqueness is important, and probably the reason "Jade" changed her
trail name, right?
Rick in Boca
--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "TrailTroll"
wrote:
>
> Once again, I find myself rethinking my trail name - TrailTroll. I
> used to collect Russ trolls - the cute little guys (girls? who can
> tell?) with the neon hair that were popular when I was little. I
> also like alliteration, so TrailTroll seemed like a cute name.
> Unfortunately, I didn't used to spend much time on the internet,
and
> I was only vaguely aware of the negative connotation of "troll".
Now
> that I'm on a bunch of yahoo chat groups, I'm all too aware that
some
> people might wonder if I'm up to some mischief, picking a name like
> that. The problem is, every time I start thinking about changing
my
> name - I've grown to identify with TrailTroll and I can't think of
> anything else I like as well! So I guess, for now, I'll still be
> TrailTroll, and I'll just try to set a good example to clear the
> names of trolls everywhere.
>
> Going against the flow,
>
> TrailTroll
>
>
> --- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "enders_angel_80"
> wrote:
> >
> > Question of the day: How long, after being ingnored, does it take
a
> > Troll finally give up?
> >
> > See this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
> >
> > Get a life, Journey/Pinky/etc... it's not like we're not "on" to
> you.
> >
> > Jade, formerly Enders Angel
> >
>
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